The Shiba Inu development team has implemented a substantial security upgrade for the Shibarium network. The enhancement focuses on strengthening decentralization and removing vulnerabilities that could compromise the blockchain's integrity. This move comes as the network works to restore confidence following a security incident that threatened its operations.
Network Infrastructure Overhaul Begins
Shibarium's legacy public RPC endpoint will be deactivated over the next two weeks. The Remote Procedure Call serves as the essential link between user wallets, decentralized applications, and the blockchain. Without functional RPC endpoints, users cannot execute transactions, interact with smart contracts, or view their account balances.
The engineering team behind Shibarium explained that the temporary shutdown addresses concerns about centralization. Too many users and applications rely on a limited number of public nodes. This concentration creates potential points of failure that attackers could exploit.
The decision represents a strategic shift toward building a more distributed infrastructure. The development team emphasized that the move aims to strengthen the network rather than limit user access. By encouraging the adoption of multiple RPC providers, the blockchain can better withstand targeted attacks and technical failures.
Response to September Security Breach
The upgrade follows a critical incident in September when network operators paused Shibarium to prevent data corruption. An attacker compromised a validator key and leveraged a temporary delegation of 4.6 million BONE tokens. The malicious actor attempted to gain control over the network consensus.
Developers clarified that the breach did not expose fundamental flaws in the core protocol of Shibarium. The vulnerability stemmed from external access to validator credentials rather than code-level weaknesses. The team responded by implementing multiple security layers.
New protective measures include a validator blacklisting system that can quickly isolate compromised nodes. The Plasma Bridge now requires a seven-day withdrawal delay, giving the team time to detect and respond to suspicious activity. These changes aim to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Network operations resumed shortly after the security patches were deployed. The BONE token bridging functionality returned to normal, allowing users to move assets between chains. The response demonstrated the team's ability to address threats without extended downtime.
Network Activity Remains Robust
Shibarium continues to show strong usage metrics despite recent security challenges. The blockchain hosts over 30,000 deployed smart contracts across various applications. More than 272 million wallet addresses have interacted with the network since its launch.
Transaction volume has reached 1.54 billion, indicating sustained user engagement. Recent activity shows approximately 8,400 transactions processed within a 24-hour period. Around 300,000 active users contributed to this volume.
The BONE governance token maintains healthy on-chain activity. Users have completed over 4.69 million token transfers to date. This metric reflects ongoing participation in the network's ecosystem and governance processes.
Traditional finance institutions are beginning to take notice of Shiba Inu assets. As detailed in our last news piece, T. Rowe Price recently filed documentation with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a potential spot Shiba Inu exchange-traded fund. If approved, this would mark the first U.S.-based ETF focused on the token.
