Aurora's Rainbow cross-chain bridge restored after temporary suspension

Rainbow Bridge, a cross-chain bridge integrated with the Aurora blockchain, has been fully restored after a temporary suspension likely due to security concerns.

On Feb. 11, Aurora suspended the bridge as a "precautionary measure." Now, Alex Shevchenko, CEO of Aurora, told users the bridge has reopened, and no funds were lost during the temporary suspension.

"The Rainbow Bridge operations [have] been fully restored. One can execute new transfers as well as finalize the ones that [had] been started before the pause," he noted.

The Rainbow Bridge, managed by the Aurora core team, allows users to transfer tokens between Ethereum, Aurora and Near blockchains. It holds a total value of crypto assets worth more than $250 million.

With the restoration of the bridge, users can now resume their token transfers and complete any transfers that were initiated before the suspension. The Aurora team is also conducting a comprehensive review to ensure the stability and security of the Rainbow Bridge.

"In-depth review of the issue to follow," Shevchenko added.

Cross-chain security woes

Cross-chain bridges can be vulnerable to hacks, as they act as intermediaries between different blockchain networks, which can introduce security risks from the interoperability of different systems. In this case, no vulnerability was reported, and the Aurora team's decision to suspend the bridge was only a precautionary measure.

According to Shevchenko, a detailed report on the matter will be published soon.

Aurora is a blockchain that is compatible with Ethereum and runs on the Near Protocol. It is known for its compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and operates as a separate blockchain layer within the Near ecosystem.

This is not the first time the Aurora team has averted a security issue with the project. In April 2022, the Aurora team awarded a $6 million bounty to ethical hackers who discovered a critical vulnerability on the network.