Solana-based DeFi platform Drift Protocol’s $280 million hack could have been prevented due to the team’s violation of basic operational security procedures and can be classified as civil negligence. Lawyer Ariel Givner stated that the Drift team did not keep signing keys in air-gapped systems, did not research blockchain developers met at conferences, and put their devices at risk through Telegram chats, suspicious code repositories, and fake apps. Givner emphasized that the crypto sector is full of North Korea state-sponsored hackers and stated that these mistakes are not standard.
Source: Ariel Givner
Details of Team Security Negligence in DRIFT Hack
Drift Protocol team made a critical mistake by not storing signing keys in cold wallets (air-gapped). According to Givner, acquaintances from conferences were not sufficiently researched; malware was infected through Telegram groups and GitHub repositories. This is negligence below industry standards.
Attackers’ Conference-Based Six-Month Strategy
Drift announced that the attack started at a major crypto conference in October 2025. Attackers built trust with developers, sent malicious links and malware via Telegram. The team stated that the actors are not linked to North Korea but have medium-high connection to the October 2024 Radiant Capital hack. Click for DRIFT detailed analysis.
Source: Ariel Givner
Why Did DRIFT Price Fall? Technical Analysis
DRIFT price is currently at $0.04 level, 24h change -7.82%. RSI 19.96 (Oversold), trend down, Supertrend Bearish. EMA 20: $0.0603.
| Support Levels | Score | Distance | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1: $0.0301 | 84/100 ⭐ Strong | -3.65% | Fibo 0.000, Prev Day Low |
| S2: $0.0222 | 48/100 Medium | -28.94% | S3, ATR Lower |
| Resistance Levels | Score | Distance | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1: $0.0350 | 61/100 ⭐ Strong | +12.04% | HVN 2, Prev Day Close |
| R2: $0.0399 | 60/100 ⭐ Strong | +27.72% | R2, Bearish Engulfing |
S1 strong support; if broken, shift to S2 possible. Monitor DRIFT futures.
North Korea Preliminary Investigation into DRIFT Hack
According to latest news, preliminary investigation shows Drift team members were personally targeted by North Korean intermediaries at conferences. Tactics similar to Lazarus Group were used; this indicates the hack may be state-sponsored.
Class Action Lawsuit and Investor Risks
Class action lawsuit announcements are circulating, Drift team unreachable. Related coins like SOL and RDNT also affected. Investors should follow the connection with SOL detailed analysis.
DeFi Security Lessons from DeFi Hacks
Lesson from similar Radiant hack: Air-gapped keys, developer vetting, and 2FA mandatory. Drift incident highlights the need for training against conference social engineering.
Source: https://en.coinotag.com/drift-280m-hack-team-negligence-and-price-collapse
