Mezo's swBTC and USDe bridge-out deadline arrives as native BTC bridge-in closes
In brief
- Mezo set October 13, 2026 as the bridge-out deadline for swBTC and USDe.
- solvBTC and xsolvBTC were added on September 29, bringing the list to four tokens.
- Native BTC bridge-in to Mezo is set to close permanently on October 13.
- DefiLlama data cited by Crypto Briefing showed under $4,000 in combined USDe and mUSDe bridged volume.
Four tokens, one way out
The first round of cuts targeted two ERC-20 tokens: swBTC, issued by Swell, and USDe, issued by Ethena. New deposits were blocked from the start, which left withdrawal as the only remaining option.
Then the list grew. On September 29, Mezo announced that solvBTC and xsolvBTC would get the same treatment, bringing the total to four tokens with deposits suspended for all of them, per Crypto Briefing.
Users were told to withdraw through the Mezo app before the cutoff. That cutoff is today.
Crypto Briefing reported that holdings left behind after deprecation risk becoming inaccessible. It's the practical stake for anyone who hasn't moved funds yet.
Why Mezo is pulling the bridges
Mezo positions itself as an economic layer for Bitcoin (a Bitcoin-backed platform offering collateralized lending and stablecoin issuance). The company said it wants to concentrate on higher-usage services and products.
Crypto Briefing's read is blunter: almost nobody was using these bridges. The outlet cited DefiLlama data showing USDe and mUSDe each had around $1.87k in bridged volume on Mezo, which comes to under $4,000 combined. By the outlet's reasoning, that's a thin case for keeping the bridge infrastructure running on a defi protocol.
The October 5 exploit
On October 5, an exploit hit Mezo and drained approximately 5.52 BTC from 37 veBTC positions, Crypto Briefing reported. veBTC refers to vote-escrowed Bitcoin, a structure where users lock assets in exchange for governance or reward rights.
The timing doesn't look great, and it's fair to ask whether the two are linked. Crypto Briefing said the incident didn't drive the bridge plan, noting that the token suspensions were announced on September 11 and September 29, weeks before the exploit.
Frequently asked questions
Which tokens is Mezo deprecating on its bridge?
Mezo first targeted swBTC, issued by Swell, and USDe, issued by Ethena, announcing the change on September 11. On September 29 it added solvBTC and xsolvBTC, bringing the list to four tokens, with deposits suspended for all of them, according to Crypto Briefing.
What happens to tokens left on Mezo after the October 13 deadline?
Crypto Briefing reported that holdings left behind after deprecation risk becoming inaccessible. Mezo told users to withdraw through the Mezo app before the October 13, 2026 cutoff, and new deposits of the affected tokens were already blocked.
Why is Mezo closing these bridges?
Mezo said it wants to concentrate on higher-usage services and products. Crypto Briefing's analysis pointed to low usage, citing DefiLlama data showing USDe and mUSDe each had around $1.87k in bridged volume on Mezo, under $4,000 combined.
