RocketSwap Base
Summary
RocketSwap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) launched on the Coinbase Base Layer 2 network in mid-2023 that suffered a $865,000 private key compromise exploit just days after Base's public launch, making it one of the first major exploits on the network. The attack, confirmed by security firms PeckShield and Certik as a private key compromise, was compounded by a separate $69,000 social engineering loss one week prior, and the hacker subsequently laundered stolen funds through Tornado Cash, Binance, OKX, and a self-created memecoin called LoveRCKT. The project has been flagged by ZachXBT and community analysts, with some alleging that pre-exploit proxy contract modifications and the team's decision to silence communications point to possible insider involvement, though this has not been conclusively proven.
Connected Entities
1 entitiesTimeline(9 events)
2023-08-08
RocketSwap team allegedly transfers approximately $69,000 in native RCKT tokens to scammers impersonating KuCoin exchange representatives; team deletes posts about the incident.
2023-08-14
Exploiter executes brute-force attack on RocketSwap's cloud server, extracts private keys, and drains approximately 471 ETH ($865,000) from the protocol's yield farming contracts via a compromised proxy contract.
2023-08-14
PeckShieldAlert detects and reports the exploit on-chain; confirms 471 ETH bridged from Base to Ethereum via Stargate bridge.
2023-08-14
RocketSwap team disables comments on X (Twitter) and shuts down Telegram channel; community alleges pre-exploit proxy contract modifications observed on-chain.
2023-08-14
Exploiter creates LoveRCKT memecoin, mints 90 trillion tokens, and supplies 400 ETH plus full LoveRCKT supply as liquidity to Uniswap. LoveRCKT price temporarily triples before collapsing over 90%.
2023-08-15
RocketSwap Labs publishes emergency recovery plan: new open-source farm contract, accelerated RCKT production reduction, relinquishment of minting rights, and public appeal to exploiter to return funds.
2023-08-15
Certik classifies the incident as a 'Private Key Compromise.' ZachXBT flags RocketSwap as part of broader coverage of Base network security incidents.
2023-08-15
PeckShieldAlert tracks post-exploit laundering: approximately 169 ETH routed through Tornado Cash; approximately 86 ETH bridged to Arbitrum and BNB Chain; 347+ BNB and 34 ETH deposited to Binance; approximately 9,000 USDT sent to OKX.
2023-08-16
Coinbase announces development of 'Pessimism,' a blockchain monitoring tool, in direct response to the cluster of Base network exploits including RocketSwap and LeetSwap.
Decision Log
- hash: AHrtjrV1k8TuK4LiyVnVKBAWLgfq9uMmMqPpMJQ12bbV
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain and source URLs are archived via the Internet Archive.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 5/4/2026, 2:54:38 AM
last updated: 5/30/2026, 11:47:56 AM
avoid.net — verified advice for a post-truth world