Ontology Restarts Mainnet After Nearly 43-Hour Security Halt
Mainnet resumes after nearly 43-hour security pause
Ontology, a blockchain network where transactions are recorded and verified by a group of operators called consensus nodes, resumed mainnet block production on Oct. 12 after halting for nearly 43 hours. The halt was triggered by a security warning about a project built on the network that could threaten assets stored on it.
During the pause, all onchain transactions were frozen. The time between the last block before the halt and the first block after restart was 42 hours, 56 minutes and nine seconds, based on timestamps from Ontology's official explorer.
Timing and network details
- The final block before the pause, number 20,911,825, was recorded at 10:48:11 a.m. ET on Oct. 10.
- The first block after the restart, number 20,911,826, appeared at 5:44:20 a.m. ET on Oct. 12.
- The halt was caused by a report of a potential security risk involving an ecosystem project on the Ontology network.
- A majority of consensus nodes agreed to suspend block production to support the investigation and reduce risk.
What Ontology confirmed and did not confirm
Ontology stated that its core infrastructure remained safe and that no funds were lost from the network itself. However, the team did not identify which ecosystem project was involved, did not describe the vulnerability, and did not say whether that project or its users had lost funds.
Exchange suspends Ontology deposits and withdrawals
Bitget, a crypto exchange, announced it was pausing Ontology-network deposits and withdrawals on Oct. 10, citing wallet maintenance. Bitget said the reopening date would be announced separately.
Second emergency halt in six weeks
Ontology had already paused its mainnet on Aug. 31 after developers flagged a potential security concern during a routine daily check. A Sept. 1 update from the team said the earlier investigation had found malicious attack activity targeting the network, while user assets were reportedly not compromised. The network restarted on Sept. 2 following a security review and upgrade that required all Sync Nodes to run version 3.1.5.
What remains unknown
Ontology has not named the ecosystem project at the center of the Oct. security concern. There is also no public explanation of what the vulnerability was, and the team has not stated whether that project or its users experienced fund losses.
Sources
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.
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