Several high-value crypto whale wallets, including those associated with Coinbase and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, have millions of dollars worth of assets stuck in decentralized finance (DeFi) bridge contracts for extended periods, prompting concerns among the crypto community.

A report from crypto analytics firm Arkham Intelligence highlights the plight of numerous whale wallets with assets ranging from six to seven figures trapped in DeFi bridge contracts for months to over two years. These contracts facilitate the movement of assets and data between different blockchain networks within the DeFi ecosystem.

Among the affected wallets, one linked to Vitalik Buterin has over $1 million worth of assets stranded on the Optimism bridge for over seven months. Similarly, wallets associated with thomasg.eth and Bofur Capital have significant sums of money stuck for nearly two years, amounting to $800,000 and $1.8 million, respectively.

Additionally, a wallet tied to NFT user Mike Macdonald contains approximately $117,000 in assets related to CryptoPunks sales on a bridge contract. Another wallet, possibly linked to Coinbase, holds $75,000 worth of assets stuck in the Optimism bridge contract for nearly six months.

Arkham Intelligence has notified the owners of these whale wallets about their stranded funds and urged them to retrieve them, emphasizing the nature of native bridges where users must manually claim their assets. The report serves as a reminder of the importance of actively managing and monitoring assets in DeFi protocols to avoid potential loss or oversight.

As the crypto community becomes increasingly aware of the risks associated with DeFi bridge contracts, efforts to enhance user education and awareness about proper asset management practices are paramount to safeguarding investors' funds and preserving trust in the ecosystem.