The tBTC bridge is creeping back online after a nine-day security pause, but the roughly $120 million tBTC reserve on Aave remains frozen while the restart finishes – a reminder that in DeFi, recovery is a schedule, not a switch.
Threshold Network began reconnecting node operators from around 00:00 UTC on Saturday, November 7, resuming on-chain operations for the first time since the halt on October 30. The pause was triggered by a critical Linux kernel vulnerability that could have allowed remote code execution on unpatched servers. Operators applied patches before reconnecting, and Threshold said it found no evidence the flaw was exploited against tBTC nodes.
Why the tBTC bridge is only half open
Partial means partial. The bridge app still does not accept new deposits, minting or redemptions until enough operators are back online, and pre-shutdown requests are expected to be processed only as the roster refills. No full-restart date has been announced.
The books, at least, balance: roughly 4,320 BTC sits in bridge wallets against about 4,185 tBTC in circulation – a surplus near 135 BTC – with no unauthorized Bitcoin transfers or irregular token minting detected during the incident window.
When Aave’s tBTC reserve unfreezes
Aave’s exposure was locked down on October 31, when a guardian multisig froze the tBTC reserve on Aave V3 Ethereum Core to prevent additional exposure while redemptions were unavailable. The freeze blocks new tBTC deposits and stops the token from being used as collateral to increase borrowing power; existing borrowers can still withdraw collateral and repay loans.
Risk provider LlamaRisk said the freeze does not change existing position health factors and does not trigger liquidations, and that it would propose restoring the reserve once Threshold’s bridge operations return to normal. Reserve size estimates have drifted with dates and BTC price – about $136 million at freeze time, roughly $120-123 million in the latest reports – but the direction of travel is the same: the thaw waits on the bridge.
