Latest Ren (REN) News Update

By CMC AI
03 January 2026 03:44AM (UTC+0)

What is the latest news on REN?

TLDR

Ren navigates exchange exits and legacy security concerns. Here are the latest updates:

  1. KuCoin Delists REN (26 December 2025) – Trading pairs removed, signaling reduced exchange support.

  2. Garden Finance Exploit Ties to Ren (30 October 2025) – $10.8M hack revives scrutiny of Ren’s historical links.

  3. DPRK-Linked Hack Uses Ren Bridge (5 November 2025) – $44M exploit highlights lingering protocol risks.

Deep Dive

1. KuCoin Delists REN (26 December 2025)

Overview: KuCoin removed REN/USDT trading pairs on 29 December 2025, citing compliance with its “Special Treatment Rules.” Withdrawals remain open until 29 January 2026, but the delisting reduces REN’s accessibility on a top-10 exchange by volume. REN’s price rose 40.6% in the prior week, suggesting traders front-ran the news.
What this means: This is bearish for REN as reduced liquidity and exchange support typically dampen long-term demand. However, the short-term price surge may reflect speculative trading or coordinated exits. (KuCoin)

2. Garden Finance Exploit Ties to Ren (30 October 2025)

Overview: A $10.8M hack of cross-chain protocol Garden Finance – developed by former Ren Protocol team members – revealed that 25% of its historical volume involved illicit funds. Ren processed $540M in suspicious transactions between 2020–2025 before its 2022 shutdown.
What this means: This renews concerns about REN’s legacy as a laundering tool for North Korean hackers and ransomware groups. While Garden operates independently, the association risks further exchange delistings or regulatory scrutiny. (Yahoo Finance)

3. DPRK-Linked Hack Uses Ren Bridge (5 November 2025)

Overview: A 2022 breach of crypto firm DWF Labs resurfaced, with $44M stolen funds laundered via Ren’s bridge to Bitcoin. Investigators linked the attack to North Korea’s AppleJeus group, known for targeting crypto firms.
What this means: This underscores Ren’s ongoing reputational risks from past infrastructure misuse. While Ren itself isn’t compromised, its protocol remains a historical weak point in cross-chain security narratives. (Yahoo Finance)

Conclusion

Ren faces headwinds from exchange attrition and persistent ties to high-profile exploits, overshadowing its technical vision. While the 40% weekly price gain shows speculative interest, the project’s historical baggage raises sustainability questions. Will Ren’s developer community pivot to address these legacy issues, or will regulatory pressure accelerate its decline?

What are people saying about REN?

TLDR

Ren straddles cross-chain optimism and regulatory ghosts. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. Cross-chain evangelists hype REN’s bridge tech 🏗️

  2. Delisting dominoes knock confidence as exchanges flee 🚪

  3. North Korea links haunt Garden Finance’s $10.8M exploit 👻

Deep Dive

1. @NeonTokens: Cross-chain liquidity ambitions bullish

“Ren Protocol ($REN) enables seamless cross-chain liquidity with decentralized bridges”
– @NeonTokens (591 followers · 263 likes · 9 October 2025 12:20 UTC)
View original post
What this means: Bullish for REN’s utility narrative as cross-chain interoperability remains a key DeFi focus, though current price ($0.00726) sits -98.8% below its 2020 ATH.

2. @FarmerJoe0x: Alameda’s ghost bearish

“RenBTC bridged $1.3B BTC pre-collapse… centralized multisig doomed it”
– @FarmerJoe0x (37.5K followers · 8 June 2025 03:16 UTC)
View original post
What this means: Bearish sentiment persists from FTX/Alameda ties, compounded by REN’s -77% YoY price drop despite 34% weekly gains.

3. ZachXBT: Illicit flow allegations bearish

“Garden Finance (Ren successor) processed $160M from Bybit hack” (Source)
– ZachXBT (30 October 2025)
What this means: Bearish regulatory risk as KuCoin/Bitvavo delist REN (example), with INDODAX reporting REN as a top loser (-29.78% on 13 October 2025).

Conclusion

The consensus on REN is mixed – torn between its cross-chain infrastructure potential and toxic associations with collapsed entities/illicit flows. Watch exchange delistings (next: KuCoin’s 29 December 2025 cutoff) and any DOJ action around Garden Finance’s North Korea ties to gauge survival odds. A high-stakes bet on whether tech can outpace stigma.

What is next on REN’s roadmap?

TLDR

Ren’s development trajectory faces uncertainty after protocol sunsetting and successor challenges.

  1. Protocol Sunset (2022) – RenVM halted after FTX/Alameda collapse, no active development.

  2. Garden Finance Launch (2023) – Successor project by ex-Ren devs focused on atomic BTC swaps.

  3. Delistings (2024–2026) – Binance, KuCoin, Bitvavo removed REN due to inactivity/regulatory risks.

  4. Legacy Issues – Historical links to illicit fund flows continue to impact ecosystem trust.

Deep Dive

1. Protocol Sunset (2022)

Overview: RenVM, Ren’s core cross-chain bridge, was sunset in late 2022 after Alameda Research (its parent company post-2021 acquisition) collapsed during the FTX bankruptcy. The protocol’s reliance on Alameda-operated multisig custody rendered it non-functional when trust evaporated.

What this means: Neutral for REN, as the protocol is no longer operational. The token survives as a legacy asset but lacks utility tied to active infrastructure.

2. Garden Finance Launch (2023)

Overview: Former Ren developers launched Garden Finance in 2023, positioning it as a decentralized successor with 30-second BTC atomic swaps. However, on-chain investigators revealed ties to North Korean laundering and $540M+ in illicit flows from Ren’s 2020–2025 operations.

What this means: Bearish for REN’s reputation. Garden’s October 2025 $10.8M exploit and ongoing regulatory scrutiny further diminish prospects of a meaningful revival.

3. Exchange Delistings (2024–2026)

Overview: Major exchanges like Binance (December 2024), Bitvavo (December 2024), and KuCoin (December 2025) delisted REN, citing compliance risks and low liquidity. KuCoin’s January 2026 withdrawal closure signals fading institutional confidence.

What this means: Bearish for liquidity. With 25%+ price drops during delisting events (e.g., -29.78% on INDODAX in October 2025), traders face heightened volatility risks.

Conclusion

Ren’s roadmap effectively concluded with its 2022 shutdown, while its successor grapples with security failures and regulatory baggage. Monitoring on-chain activity for Garden Finance’s recovery attempts could signal sporadic volatility, but the original vision of decentralized cross-chain BTC appears abandoned.

How might lingering community efforts reshape Ren’s legacy in a multi-chain future?

What is the latest update in REN’s codebase?

TLDR

No recent codebase updates found for Ren (REN) as of January 2026.

  1. Polygon & Fantom Integration (May 2021) – Enabled cross-chain bridging for BTC, DOGE, and other assets.

  2. RenVM v0.4 Upgrade (May 2021) – Introduced Greycore activation and fee optimizations.

  3. Darknode NFT Launch (May 2021) – Community-run NFTs for node operators.

Deep Dive

1. Polygon & Fantom Integration (May 2021)

Overview: RenVM expanded interoperability by enabling users to bridge Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and other assets to Polygon and Fantom.
This update leveraged RenVM’s cross-chain infrastructure to connect non-EVM chains with DeFi ecosystems. The integration aimed to boost liquidity and utility for wrapped assets like $renBTC.
What this means: This is neutral for REN as it expanded reach but faced competition from newer cross-chain solutions. Users gained cheaper/faster transactions on Polygon and Fantom. (Source)

2. RenVM v0.4 Upgrade (May 2021)

Overview: Launched Greycore activation, a semi-decentralized phase where select nodes (Greycore) began validating transactions alongside Darknodes.
The update also streamlined fee distribution and improved blockchain compatibility.
What this means: This is bullish for REN as it marked progress toward full decentralization. However, Greycore’s centralized elements raised long-term governance questions. (Source)

3. Darknode NFT Launch (May 2021)

Overview: A community initiative rewarded Darknode operators with NFTs, combining staking incentives with collectibles.
What this means: This is neutral for REN—it temporarily boosted node participation but didn’t address core protocol challenges like declining TVL. (Source)

Conclusion

Ren’s last major code updates occurred in mid-2021, focusing on cross-chain expansion and partial decentralization. With no recent development activity reported and multiple exchange delistings (Binance, KuCoin) in 2024–2025, the project’s technical momentum appears stalled. How might Ren’s legacy as a cross-chain pioneer influence its potential revival in a multi-chain ecosystem?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.