Mantle Joins Migration to Chainlink CCIP

@Mantle_Official has confirmed it is migrating its Super Portal from @LayerZero_Core to @Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), the latest in a string of high-profile departures from LayerZero that now totals over $7.2 billion in migrated value.

A Growing Exodus From LayerZero

The backdrop to Mantle's move is a security incident that rattled the cross-chain sector. The shift accelerated after a $292 million exploit drained 116,500 rsETH from Kelp DAO's LayerZero-powered bridge in April 2026. The Kelp DAO exploit was not a failure of LayerZero's core smart contracts, but of its flexible security model. LayerZero allows applications to select their own Decentralised Verifier Networks (DVNs), off-chain actors responsible for validating events on a source chain before triggering an action on a destination chain. In the Kelp DAO case, the DVN was configured as a 1-of-1 set, meaning a single compromised verifier was sufficient to authorise fraudulent transfers.

That incident prompted a broad reassessment of cross-chain infrastructure across DeFi. Mantle joins Kelp DAO and Lombard Finance in the move to CCIP. Lombard migrated its over $1 billion in bitcoin-backed assets from LayerZero to Chainlink CCIP after a security review following the Kelp DAO exploit. Other protocols including Solv, Re.xyz, and Kraken have made similar moves. Johann Eid, chief business officer at Chainlink Labs, described the trend as "a continued flight to safety across the industry."

Why Protocols Are Choosing CCIP

Chainlink's CCIP operates on a different, less flexible model. Each cross-chain lane is secured by a set of at least 16 independent, Chainlink-operated node operators, creating a high threshold for collusion or compromise. CCIP also integrates a separate Risk Management Network that monitors for anomalous activity and enforces value-based rate limits on each lane, acting as a circuit breaker to cap potential losses. Chainlink recently completed a SOC 2 Type 2 examination for CCIP, a compliance certification typically associated with enterprise cloud providers and financial infrastructure companies, making it the only major oracle and interoperability provider with that tier of certification. SOC 2 Type 2 means an independent auditor spent months verifying that Chainlink's security controls actually work as advertised over a sustained period.

For Mantle, the decision aligns with a broader platform strategy. The project said it is "thrilled to adopt the Chainlink standard," with its head of BD, Mark Veer, adding that the integration "enhances Mantle's cross-chain capabilities and strengthens our alignment with Chainlink's extensive ecosystem." Chainlink CCIP has supported over $28 trillion in cumulative on-chain transaction value and averages approximately $90 million in weekly token transfers.

Meanwhile, LayerZero has since removed support for 1-of-1 DVN configurations and announced plans to move most routes toward stricter 5-of-5 verifier setups. The protocol maintains significant volume, but the reputational damage from the Kelp DAO incident continues to shape infrastructure decisions across the sector.

Sources:
Mantle official blog: Mantle Adopts the Chainlink Standard
CoinDesk: Crypto firms move $4 billion in assets to Chainlink
Crypto.news: Chainlink CCIP draws $4B from LayerZero exodus