Jack Paul 
Threshold Network said on Nov. 8 that the tBTC bridge is processing onchain again after security maintenance. The restart came nine days after the project paused activity. The app, however, is still closed to new deposits, minting and Bitcoin redemptions.
Operators Are Coming Back
Threshold said operators are reconnecting on patched systems. The bridge will return to full operation as more operators come online, according to the update. The app still shows a notice that $BTC deposits and redemptions are temporarily paused. The interface will reopen once enough operators are online to process deposits, mints and redemptions promptly. Deposits and redemption requests made before the pause remain safe and will be processed as operators reconnect, the network said.
Users should not send $BTC to previously generated deposit addresses or resubmit pending transactions. Once the interface returns, they should start a new deposit instead of reusing an old address. That is a simple precaution, but it matters after a pause because old addresses can create confusion.
What the Bridge Does
tBTC lets Bitcoin holders use their $BTC in DeFi. Deposited Bitcoin is secured by groups of network operators. Threshold paused new deposits, minting and Bitcoin redemption requests on Oct. 30. Holding and transferring tBTC were not affected by that pause.
In a Nov. 2 security update, Threshold said all tBTC nodes were either patched or offline. Operators were addressing a Linux kernel vulnerability. Bridge wallets require a majority of independent operators to sign Bitcoin transactions, the network said.
Threshold again said tBTC remained fully backed. Its explorer showed 4,320.46 $BTC in bridge wallets. Etherscan showed an Ethereum token supply of about 4,185.17 tBTC during reporting. The gap between those figures is worth watching, though it does not by itself prove a backing problem.
Aave Freeze Still in Place
Aave’s Ethereum Core tBTC reserve remained frozen, with about $119.9 million supplied, according to its interface. Aave froze the reserve on Oct. 31 after the bridge pause. The freeze blocks new tBTC deposits and additional borrowing against the token. Repayments, withdrawals and liquidations continue, according to Aave risk service provider LlamaRisk. The freeze does not change existing positions’ health factors or make them liquidatable, it said.
The bridge restart does not lift those lending restrictions. LlamaRisk said it would propose restorative measures once it has assurance that tBTC operations have returned to normal. For now, the bridge is partly back, but the app and Aave market are not.