ALEX LabMicro-cap
Elevated risk — Lazarus Group exploit and bridge dependency create serious ongoing security concerns despite small remaining TVL
Top Risks
1
Exploited for $4.3M in May 2024 via compromised deployer keys attributed to Lazarus Group. Key management practices were the root cause, a protocol-level infrastructure failure.
2
XLink cross-chain bridge is a single point of failure. Another bridge exploit would leave wrapped assets on Stacks unbacked, causing immediate depeg across ALEX's DEX.
3
Stacks PoX (Proof of Transfer) dependency on Bitcoin miners creates centralization risk; regulatory action against miners could break the Bitcoin-Stacks peg.
Risk Breakdown
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ALEX Lab safe to use?
ALEX Lab receives a C- risk grade (56/100) from Hindenrank, where lower scores indicate lower risk. Elevated risk — Lazarus Group exploit and bridge dependency create serious ongoing security concerns despite small remaining TVL A decentralized exchange built on Stacks (a Bitcoin layer). It holds under $1M in deposits after a $4.3M hack in May 2024 attributed to North Korean hackers who compromised the deployer keys. Its C- grade reflects the severe exploit history and ongoing bridge security concerns.
What are the main risks of using ALEX Lab?
The key risks identified for ALEX Lab are: (1) North Korean hackers (Lazarus Group) stole $4.3M in May 2024 by compromising the keys that control the smart contracts. The fundamental vulnerability was in how keys were managed. (2) The XLink cross-chain bridge is a single point of failure. If it gets hacked again, all wrapped tokens on Stacks would become worthless instantly. (3) The protocol depends on Bitcoin miners to process Stacks transactions. If miners stop cooperating, the entire DEX could go offline.
What is ALEX Lab's risk score breakdown?
ALEX Lab scores 56/100 across eight risk dimensions: Mechanism Novelty: 3/15, Interaction Severity: 17/20, Oracle Surface: 5/10, Documentation Gaps: 4/10, Track Record: 15/15, Scale Exposure: 0/10, Regulatory Risk: 4/10, Vitality Risk: 8/10. The highest risk area is Track Record at 15/15.
How does ALEX Lab compare to other DEX protocols?
Among 111 rated DEX protocols on Hindenrank, ALEX Lab ranks #109 by safety (lowest risk score = safest). Its 56/100 risk score and C- grade place it among the riskier DEX protocols.
Has ALEX Lab ever been hacked or exploited?
ALEX Lab scores 15/15 on the Track Record risk dimension, indicating some history of security incidents or exploits. Higher scores reflect more severe or frequent incidents. Review the full risk report for details.
Last scanned 2026-02-26