Boltz has disabled its Bitcoin swap service until further notice after reporting a sharp rise in automated, AI-assisted attacks against its infrastructure.
The non-custodial swap provider said on Monday that it dealt with several exploits over the past few months. Although each incident was contained, Boltz concluded that attackers were identifying and adapting to vulnerabilities faster than its relatively small development team could patch them.
The company said attacks accelerated quite a bit over the past few days and that its latest security scans uncovered issues that made immediately restoring the service irresponsible. Boltz has not published a reopening date and warned users not to expect swaps to resume soon.
Why Did Boltz Shut Down?
Boltz said its infrastructure faced more frequent “automated AI-assisted probing” throughout the year. It believes multiple well-resourced groups may be targeting the platform while its developers work on fixes.
The company has not released technical details about the exploits or evidence showing exactly how artificial intelligence was used. However, AI tools can help attackers scan public code, test vulnerabilities and quickly modify unsuccessful exploit attempts.
This creates a major disadvantage for smaller open-source teams. Attackers can operate continuously and automate most of the discovery process, while defenders still need to review findings, develop patches and test changes.
PayPerQ, a pay-per-prompt AI service that accepts cryptocurrency, also said it has faced frequent exploits that it suspects are AI-powered. Solana Foundation security chief Michael Coates previously argued that crypto companies will need autonomous defenses because human teams cannot respond at machine speed.
Were Boltz User Funds at Risk?
Boltz said no customer funds were ever at risk because its swaps are non-custodial.
The service uses atomic swaps to move Bitcoin and Bitcoin-denominated assets between the Bitcoin mainnet, Lightning Network and Liquid Network. Users maintain control of their assets rather than depositing them into an account controlled by Boltz.
Non-custodial infrastructure can still suffer software vulnerabilities, interrupted transactions and service outages. Users with unfinished swaps should keep their swap ID, refund file, recovery keys and other transaction information.
Boltz said its API will remain available to process refunds, while its support team will continue assisting users.
Why the Boltz Shutdown Matters
Boltz helps users move funds between different Bitcoin layers without relying on a centralized exchange. Its suspension could therefore affect wallets and applications that use Boltz infrastructure for Lightning or Liquid swaps.
DefiLlama showed roughly $262,187 in total value locked at press time. However, this figure does not necessarily represent the full value of transactions routed through the platform.
For now, Boltz is reviewing its systems and deploying fixes. Until another update is released, users should avoid new swaps and use only official support channels for refunds or recovery assistance.