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DeFi

200,000 XRP Gone In 97 Minutes. Here’s What Happened

Crypto analyst Xaif Crypto (@Xaif_Crypto) published a breakdown of one of the more striking bridge exploits in recent memory. On August 9, the Coreum bridge account on the XRP Ledger went fro

AnonymousCryptoCompass newsroom
August 12, 2026
3 min read
NEWS
200,000 XRP Gone In 97 Minutes. Here’s What Happened
CryptoCompass editorial visual for defi coverage.

Crypto analyst Xaif Crypto (@Xaif_Crypto) published a breakdown of one of the more striking bridge exploits in recent memory. On August 9, the Coreum bridge account on the XRP Ledger went from roughly 200,410 XRP to just 493.5 XRP.

The XRP community has faced a growing wave of threats in recent months, including AI deepfake scams. However, no private keys were stolen in this case, and the XRP Ledger itself was never touched. However, almost 200,000 XRP disappeared in 97 minutes.

How the Attack Worked

The Coreum bridge functions as an escrow between the XRP Ledger and the Coreum blockchain. Users lock XRP with the bridge, and relayers report that deposit to a smart contract on Coreum. The contract then mints wrapped XRP on the Coreum side. The relayers pay out whatever the contract records as owed.

The attacker exploited that process. They moved the bridge’s own wrapped token between two wallets they controlled, tagging each transfer with a bridge memo.

The relayer software read those transfers as legitimate deposits. It never verified whether a payment was actually sent to the bridge. The contract recorded a balance owed to the attacker. The relayers then co-signed 94 real XRP payments out of the bridge.

Scammers targeting XRP have repeatedly shown a willingness to exploit process gaps. An attack from late 2025 included fake Xaman wallet support accounts that drained user funds through phone-based manipulation.

In the Coreum attack, every payment carried authorization from 17 of the bridge’s 28 relayer keys. The bridge paid the attacker directly. The XRP Ledger recorded every transaction accurately.

Tracing the Attack

A warning during the drain blamed the account’s DefaultRipple flag, claiming XRP leaked through partial-payment loops. The on-chain data says otherwise. Native XRP has no trust line and cannot ripple. The bridge signed every payment. Zero XRP passed through via rippling.

The two destination wallets were created less than two hours before the attack began. The attacker first sent nine wrapped-token transfers in a doubling pattern to confirm the exploit worked. Then 94 XRP payments followed. Both wallets forwarded nearly all funds within hours and now hold roughly 3 XRP each.

XRP Is Safe

Xaif was direct on this point: “XRPL itself is safe. This was a bridge bug.” The XRP Ledger processed every transaction exactly as signed. The vulnerability lived in the bridge’s deposit verification logic, not in the underlying protocol.

Prominent community figures have consistently issued warnings about scams and attacks, but XRP is safe in this event. The Coreum bridge is currently halted. A formal incident report is pending.

Disclaimer: This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses.

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The post 200,000 XRP Gone In 97 Minutes. Here’s What Happened appeared first on Times Tabloid.