MANTRA token plunges 18% to record low as blockchain halts after exploit

On August 20, 2026, MANTRA Chain halted block production and froze all transactions after an attacker exploited a vulnerability in an upstream software dependency. The network's native token plunged 18.5% to an all-time low of $0.004126, while trading volume surged nearly 600% to $24 million. Developers are preparing a patch and coordinating with offline validators to restart the network. This exploit adds pressure to the project, which is currently awaiting a Q3 2026 acquisition by Inveniam Capital Partners.

MANTRA Chain exploit halt

• ▪MANTRA Chain halted block production and froze all transactions, endpoints, deposits, and withdrawals on August 20, 2026, following a software exploit.
• ▪The MANTRA Chain outage affected the network's public endpoints, validators, bridge operations, and MANTRA-managed Inter-Blockchain Communication relays.
• ▪The MANTRA Chain network produced its last recorded block, block 17,449,398, at approximately 11:13 p.m. UTC on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

Upstream software vulnerability

• ▪MANTRA Chain developers identified that an attacker exploited a vulnerability in an upstream software dependency developed outside the MANTRA Chain network.
• ▪MANTRA Chain developers have not publicly disclosed which specific software was exploited, how the attack worked, or whether any assets were lost.

MANTRA token price collapse

• ▪The MANTRA token plunged 18.5% from its 24-hour high of $0.005060 to an all-time low of $0.004126 around 11:10 p.m. UTC on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
• ▪Following the price drop on August 20, 2026, the MANTRA token's 24-hour trading volume surged nearly 600% to $24 million.

Network restart coordination

• ▪MANTRA Chain developers are preparing a patched software release and tracing fund movements in cooperation with cryptocurrency exchanges.
• ▪Restarting the MANTRA Chain blockchain requires coordination with the network's validators, who remained offline while developers prepared and tested the software fix.

Previous OM token collapse

• ▪MANTRA underwent layoffs and corporate restructuring in January 2026 after CEO John Patrick Mullin described 2025 as the project's most challenging year.
• ▪MANTRA's former OM token collapsed more than 90% in April 2025, falling from approximately $6.30 to below $0.50 and erasing over $5 billion in market value.

Inveniam acquisition plans

• ▪The acquisition of MANTRA by Inveniam Capital Partners is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
• ▪Inveniam Capital Partners, which invested $20 million in MANTRA in 2025, announced plans in June 2026 to acquire the project.

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