Corepound AI Yield Aggregator on Core Blockchain Rug Pull
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Corepound, a yield aggregator built on the Core blockchain, claimed to optimize returns for cryptocurrency holders through AI-driven strategies, smart contract-powered vaults, and features like CoreChest and incentivized multipliers. Users were promised above-average APYs by staking assets such as $CORE, $USDC, and $WBTC. However, it was later revealed that the Corepound team, which remained anonymous, appears to have orchestrated a rug pull, stealing approximately $400,000 from users. Despite initial efforts to trace the funds, the protocol was reportedly taken offline, and no concrete recovery plans have been disclosed. The community expressed support, but there was limited assistance for those affected. Investigations into the incident are likely ongoing[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
About Corepound
Corepound claimed to be a yield aggregator built on the Core blockchain, designed to optimize returns for cryptocurrency holders while minimizing risk exposure. The platform claimed to employ AI-driven strategies to automatically compound yields, allowing users to stake assets such as $CORE, $USDC, $USDT, $SolvBTC, and $WBTC in smart contract-powered vaults. These vaults were said to leverage a combination of lending protocols, validator staking, and BTCFi innovations to ensure long-term growth with sustainable rewards. Corepound also promised features like CoreChest, Points, and incentivized multipliers to enhance the user experience, providing a secure and transparent way for users to earn optimized yields while integrating Bitcoin liquidity into the DeFi ecosystem.
As a BTCFi yield aggregator, Corepound was built on Core Dao, a Bitcoin-powered and EVM-compatible chain. While Core Dao was still emerging, Corepound sought to establish itself as a key player within the ecosystem and expand the potential of Bitcoin-focused decentralized applications (Dapps). The platform claimed to offer users above-average annual percentage yields (APY) through vault staking, with high APYs backed by a robust financial system that combined smart contract technology and decision-making from experienced developers to ensure sustainability.
Users could earn on Corepound by staking their assets into vaults through a simple process. After connecting a wallet, users chose a vault, deposited their desired amount (while leaving funds for network fees), and the system automatically compounded rewards. Investment management was made easy, as users could harvest rewards, deposit more, or withdraw at any time, offering them flexibility to grow their assets.
The Reality
Unfortunately, the team behind Corepound appears to have been planning the operation as a way to steal funds from users via an inevitable rug pull.
What Happened
Corepound's anonymous team allegedly executed a rug pull, stealing $400,000 from users by exploiting their trust in the platform's yield aggregation services
| Date | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| May 15th, 2025 10:24:24 PM MDT | Last Archive Capture | The last failed capture of the homepage on the internet archive. |
| September 23rd, 2025 2:23:00 PM MDT | Protocol Offline Acknowledgement | The Core Ecosystem tweets an update to note that the Corepound project has gone offline and advise against any further interaction with the protocol. |
| September 24th, 2025 12:22:00 PM MDT | Community Of Core Response | The Core Community Twitter/X account posts an official announcement that they did not support the Corepound protocol financially in any way, and that they are recommending that all affected users report the events to their local law enforcement and to the various compliance departments at all major exchanges. |
Technical Details
It appears that the team was anonymous and abused their position of trust to steal all assets of users who used their staking protocol.
Total Amount Lost
According to SlowMist, the Corepound protocol reportedly conducted a rug pull and successfully made off with $400,000.
Data from Defi Llama shows a market valuation of $362k on the day prior to the rug pull event.
The total amount lost has been estimated at $362,000 USD.
Immediate Reactions
There was notice that the protocol appears to have gone offline. Some efforts appear to have been undertaken to trace the funds and report to authorities.
Ultimate Outcome
There is no word that the protocol team has been reached, nor of any specific recovery plan being underway.
Total Amount Recovered
The community has expressed some support and notified about the incidents. However, limited assistance appears to have been available for affected users.
There do not appear to have been any funds recovered in this case.
Ongoing Developments
There may be ongoing investigation and recovery efforts underway.
Individual Prevention Policies
No specific policies for individual prevention have yet been identified in this case.
For the full list of how to protect your funds as an individual, check our Prevention Policies for Individuals guide.
Platform Prevention Policies
Policies for platforms to take to prevent this situation have not yet been selected in this case.
For the full list of how to protect your funds as a financial service, check our Prevention Policies for Platforms guide.
Regulatory Prevention Policies
No specific regulatory policies have yet been identified in this case.
For the full list of regulatory policies that can prevent loss, check our Prevention Policies for Regulators guide.
References
- ↑ Community Of Core - "We hear you. Core did not financially support Corepound and we're actively working to address the incident. We have talked with the Core team, we will be implementing stricter vetting protocols." - Twitter/X (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ Attacker Address Profile - Debank (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ Attacker Address - Blockchain.com (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ Attacker Address - Etherscan (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ Rolex_Core - "This time @corepoundxyz scammed Core players, this matter is no small deal. I hope the project team uses all their power to recover users' funds, try not to let the scammers withdraw, and hope that major exchanges learn from @Bybit_Official's lessons. I suggest @Coredao_Org @richrines refer to and draw from the experience of the SlowMist team @evilcos, while summarizing lessons learned to protect $CORE players' assets! Thank you!" - Twitter/X (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ Core Ecosystem - "It has come to our attention that the Corepound project has gone offline. For security purposes, we strongly advise all users to avoid interacting with the application." - Twitter/X (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ Potentially Part Of Theft - Etherscan (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ [ ] (Accessed Jan 16, 2022)
- ↑ Corepound - Defi Llama (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ Corepound - DappRadar (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ Corepound - Forbes Digital Assets Profile (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)
- ↑ DefiBNS - "Some people may find it confusing at first to know how to earn from a platform that collects and grows your crypto rewards.@corepoundxyz stands out because it’s made simple for anyone to use, even if you're new to DeFi." - Twitter/X (Accessed Oct 8, 2025)