19.11.2025
Cloudflare’s universal Bot Management system failed after the “feature-file” used for bot detection exceeded its permitted size. As a result, the company’s software could not operate as usual.
At first, the company suspected a major DDoS attack, but after an internal investigation confirmed that no malicious interference had occurred.
Cloudflare states that it handles around 20% of global internet traffic and supports roughly one-third of the 10,000 most popular websites and services. Affected platforms included Coinbase, Blockchain.com, Ledger, BitMEX, and services such as ChatGPT. The incident once again highlighted the risks associated with centralized infrastructure in the digital ecosystem.
Why this matters for the crypto industry and the internet overall
For the cryptocurrency sector, the Cloudflare outage temporarily blocked access to exchanges, wallets and analytics platforms – increasing the vulnerability to manipulation or panic-driven reactions.
The event also emphasized the importance of decentralization: even a technical malfunction at a major provider can trigger a large-scale chain reaction. This situation illustrates the concept of a “single point of failure”.
The incident showed that despite advanced security systems, software errors or unexpected resource overloads can disrupt services regardless of protection strength.
The root cause was that the file containing rules and configuration for Bot Management grew beyond its designed limits. As a result, the software failed to process it, causing a cascading failure. This file determines whether requests are legitimate or bot-generated and applies relevant rules. When the system could no longer function, many websites relying on Cloudflare lost proper gateway access and security.
Cloudflare clarified that no attack occurred – the issue originated inside the system. This highlights that service outages may result not only from cyberattacks but also from internal infrastructure faults.
The outage serves as a reminder that even leading service providers may have weaknesses. For crypto and fintech users, it is a signal to diversify access points and maintain a backup plan.
The industry is encouraged to continue moving toward less centralized architectures to reduce the risk of mass outages triggered by a single component. Still, no internet system is fully immune to failures, making preparedness and security awareness essential.