Chainlink has released a new version of its cross-chain infrastructure that gives companies more control over how transfers between blockchains are verified, while changing the way the network’s own security safeguards operate.
More control over cross-chain transfers
Chainlink released CCIP 2.0 on Monday, upgrading the Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol used to move tokens and messages between separate blockchains. The system is designed to let applications communicate across networks that cannot interact directly with one another.
The update allows companies to add their own verification checks to transfers. These can be operated internally or provided by external firms, including Infosys and Nethermind. The additional checks are placed on top of Chainlink’s default network of 16 independent node operators, which must reach a quorum before a transfer is approved.
A blockchain bridge generally depends on verifiers to confirm that an asset or transaction has occurred on the originating network. Once that confirmation is accepted, the corresponding funds or tokens can be released on another chain. If the verification process is compromised, an attacker may be able to withdraw assets without making the required deposit.
Chainlink is widely known for its oracle network, which supplies blockchains with information from outside their own systems, including asset prices used by lending and trading applications. CCIP, first introduced in 2023, expands the company’s infrastructure into the transfer of tokens and messages between chains.
According to CoinDesk, Chainlink says the new design is intended to give users stronger controls without requiring them to build an entire cross-chain security system themselves. Johann Eid, Chainlink Labs’ chief business officer, said in a statement that older bridges had lost billions through insecure infrastructure, while building systems internally could be slow and costly.
Hack highlights bridge-security risks
The launch comes five months after the $292 million Kelp DAO hack, which focused attention on the risks of relying on too few verification mechanisms. Attackers allegedly linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group drained about $292 million in rsETH from Kelp’s bridge in April.
The bridge used LayerZero, a Chainlink competitor, and relied on a single verifier. LayerZero blamed Kelp for choosing a one-verifier configuration, while Kelp said LayerZero staff had reviewed the setup without objecting to it. CoinGecko data cited in the report indicated that nearly half of active LayerZero applications used the same one-verifier arrangement.
Kelp subsequently said it would move its rsETH token to Chainlink. The incident illustrates why the number and independence of entities checking a cross-chain transfer can matter: a successful attack on a sole verifier can undermine the entire process.
CCIP 2.0 allows customers to select additional verifiers, either by operating them themselves or using third-party providers. Unlike the configuration blamed for the Kelp exploit, these optional checks supplement Chainlink’s standard 16-operator network rather than replacing it.
Risk Management Network role changes
The upgrade also changes a safeguard Chainlink had previously promoted: its Risk Management Network. This separate group of nodes no longer operates as an additional, independent verification layer for CCIP transfers.
Instead, Chainlink says an independent check can now be supplied by the optional verifiers selected by a user. Customers that do not add any extra verifiers will therefore rely on Chainlink’s default 16-operator network alone. Previously, the system included that network and the separate Risk Management Network, meaning the number of verification layers has changed even though the default network itself consists of multiple operators rather than one.
Chainlink said existing integrations continue to work with CCIP 2.0 without changes. The company has not identified any institution currently using the new optional verifiers. It said Aave and Maple have begun adopting some of the upgrade’s other features.
Moneyiar market picture
Moneyiar market data recorded on Sept. 25, 2026, at 22:04 in the +03:30 time zone, priced Chainlink’s LINK token at $13.7368398226. LINK was up 3.56% over 24 hours and 10.94% over seven days.
The same Moneyiar data showed Compound at $23.8186759137, down 0.88% over 24 hours but up 13.75% over seven days. Ontology was priced at $0.058368574, up 1.33% in 24 hours and 10.28% over seven days, while Lighter stood at $4.7679181146, down 6.53% over 24 hours and 2.12% over seven days.
These figures describe market prices and recent percentage moves at the stated time; they do not indicate how investors may respond to CCIP 2.0.
