In recent developments, mANTRA Chain remained halted on Aug. 21 after the team said an attacker exploited a vulnerability in an upstream dependency. Transactions, transfers, and staking are unavailable while the mainnet is paused. MANTRA identified the vulnerable software only as an upstream dependency. In its official incident record, the team said it was tracing fund movements, working with exchange partners, and continuing to assess the complete scope. The incident record shows MANTRA first froze endpoints and transactions while reviewing the root cause and impact. It later attributed the precautionary halt to an attacker exploiting the upstream dependency, then announced the patched release and testnet testing, with the mainnet remaining offline throughout those updates. The project’s latest update said user funds were unaffected by the halt itself and that a full network state snapshot was taken before the restart process began. That assurance is limited to the network pause, which prevents transactions from being processed. The asset impact of the attacker’s activity remains unconfirmed. Related Reading THORChain exploit turns emergency chain halt into a DeFi trust test Patch testing controls the restart MANTRA said patched release v8.4.0 addresses the underlying vulnerability and is undergoing testing and due diligence on the DuKong testnet. The project’s GitHub release confirms the version and includes a mainnet upgrade handler. Testing on DuKong is the gate before rolling out the same software to mainnet. MANTRA said it was prioritizing a careful, verified rollout and instructed validators to keep their mainnet nodes offline until it announces a coordinated restart. The coordination requirement prevents individual node operators from bringing mainnet service back independently. Validators have to wait for MANTRA’s restart announcement so the patched network can return through the wider validator set together. The team was targeting a restart later on Aug. 21, subject to testing completing cleanly. Mainnet can return only after the patch clears testing and the wider validator set is ready for the coordinated upgrade. MANTRA outlined a three-step restart plan after halting mainnet, with a patch under test and validator coordination still underway. For users, the halt means ordinary onchain activity cannot proceed. Assets cannot move on MANTRA Chain, staking operations are unavailable, and deposits and withdrawals for the token remained paused on affected venues, according to earlier incident updates. MANTRA said users didn’t need to take action while the chain remained offline. A restart announcement would resolve the immediate operational freeze, while MANTRA’s assessment of fund movements and the incident’s complete asset impact remains a separate issue to watch. The post MANTRA Chain stays offline after exploit as Aug. 21 restart hinges on patch test appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Looking closer, market participants highlight key drivers such as liquidity flows, macro risk appetite, regulatory headlines, and on-chain activity. Short-term swings often reflect liquidation cascades and funding imbalances, while spot volumes and exchange inflows set the broader tone.

Analysis: The medium-term picture hinges on whether buyers can sustain momentum without excessive leverage. If flows continue favoring majors like BTC and ETH, altcoins could experience a staggered rotation instead of a broad-based rally. Meanwhile, policy clarity in key jurisdictions remains a decisive catalyst; clearer rules typically compress risk premia and attract institutional allocations. Beyond price action, on-chain metrics such as active addresses, fees, and stablecoin velocity help validate trend strength.

Outlook: Over the next few weeks, observers will watch price acceptance above recent resistance, derivatives positioning, and ETF-related flows. A constructive setup would feature rising spot demand, contained leverage, and improving breadth across sectors such as DeFi, infrastructure, and Layer-2 ecosystems.

Original source: link