Migrate from OpenZeppelin Defender
OpenZeppelin Defender shut down on July 1, 2026. This guide covers what changed, how to evaluate your options, and how to migrate to KeeperHub.
What’s Changing
Defender has shut down. Two core services were affected:
- Defender Monitor — on-chain monitoring and alerting
- Defender Relayer — transaction signing and submission
OpenZeppelin has released self-hosted replacements:
- OpenZeppelin Monitor — Rust-based monitor with YAML configuration
- OpenZeppelin Relayer — transaction relayer supporting EVM, Solana, and Stellar
Both are functional but require you to provision and operate the infrastructure (Redis, Docker, monitoring, on-call).
Key constraint: Private keys cannot be exported from Defender’s AWS KMS. Every migration requires generating new signer addresses and updating all on-chain permissions (access control, whitelists, allowlists). This applies regardless of which path you choose.
Comparison
| Capability | KeeperHub | Self-Hosted (OZ Monitor + Relayer) |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | Managed | You run Redis, Rust services, Docker |
| Setup time | Minutes | Days to weeks |
| Monitoring | Visual workflow builder, AI-assisted creation | YAML config files |
| Alerting | Slack, Discord, Email, Telegram, Webhook | Slack, Discord, Email, Webhook, Scripts |
| Transaction execution | Gas optimization, retry with nonce management | Basic gas estimation, manual retry config |
| Key management | Non-custodial Turnkey wallets (secure enclave) | Local keystore, AWS KMS, GCP KMS, Vault, Turnkey |
| Multi-chain | EVM and Solana | EVM, Solana, Stellar |
| SDK migration | REST API + workflow builder | Replace defender-sdk with relayer-sdk |
| License | Commercial (open-source core) | AGPL-3.0 |
Feature Mapping
Defender Monitor —> Workflow Monitoring
Event monitoring, custom filtering, and multi-chain support. KeeperHub adds conditional logic branching and multi-step response chains through the workflow builder.
Defender Relayer —> Transaction Execution
Transaction submission, signing, and nonce management. KeeperHub adds gas optimization, automatic retry logic, and multi-node resilience for provider failover.
Defender Actions —> Workflow Automation
Defender Actions ran custom serverless scripts. In KeeperHub, these become visual workflows — built through the canvas or generated with the AI assistant. The Workflow Hub has templates for common patterns like balance monitoring, contract execution, and multi-step alerting.
Additional Capabilities
Calldata Decoder — human-readable transaction analysis, available as a workflow component that can feed into conditional logic or alerting.
AI Risk Assessment — hybrid rules + LLM-based transaction evaluation before execution, available as a reusable workflow component.
Both ship as workflow plugins and can be chained with monitoring triggers and notification channels.
Migration Steps
1. Audit Your Defender Setup
If you still have dashboard access, export your configuration before it is fully decommissioned. Otherwise, reconstruct it from your own records or run history. Document every monitor, relayer, and action — contract addresses, event signatures, trigger conditions, and relayer permissions.
2. Set Up KeeperHub
Create your account, configure chain connections, and set up your wallet for transaction signing.
3. Recreate Your Workflows
Use the workflow builder or AI assistant to recreate your automations. Check the Workflow Hub for templates that match your existing patterns.
4. Validate Against Historical Behavior
With Defender no longer running, validate KeeperHub’s monitoring and execution against your last known Defender configuration and run history rather than a live side-by-side comparison. Once confirmed, update on-chain permissions to your new signer addresses.
For help with migration planning, book a call or reach out in our Discord.