Berachain reduced its bug bounty program maximum rewards by 60%, cutting top-tier payouts from $250K to $100K.
Tech & Launches ·
Berachain has reduced its maximum bug bounty reward from $250,000 to $100,000, representing a 60% cut to its top-tier payouts. The reduction applies across multiple threat levels, with critical-level rewards now capped at $100,000 for both blockchain/DLT and smart contract vulnerabilities, down from the previous $250,000 ceiling. Four separate tier adjustments totaled $380,000 in aggregate reductions to the program structure.
The updated bounty structure maintains a minimum critical reward of $10,000 and bases payouts on 10% of funds directly affected, subject to the new caps. Researchers reporting high-level vulnerabilities involving theft or permanent freezing of unclaimed yield or royalties now face reduced maximum awards within a $10,000 to $50,000 range depending on funds at risk. Payouts remain handled by Berachain's team directly and denominated in USD, though distributed in BERA tokens on the Berachain network.
The reasoning behind the cuts and whether they reflect broader security reassessments or operational adjustments remains unclear. The timing and market context for this shift have not been specified.