Is North Korea Behind the Drift Protocol Hack? Here’s What the Data Shows
Data suggests North Korean actors may be responsible for the $285 million Drift Protocol hack, based on on-chain behavior and laundering techniques.Summary
Blockchain analytics firms Elliptic and TRM Labs have indicated potential links between the recent $285 million hack of the Drift Protocol and actors associated with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The hackers targeted key vaults and quickly moved stolen assets into USDC, bridging them from Solana to Ethereum. Evidence cited includes consistent laundering methodologies, network indicators matching previous DPRK operations, and specific timing details like the deployment of the CarbonVote token at Pyongyang time. This incident, the largest DeFi hack of 2026, would be the 18th DPRK-linked hack tracked this year, exceeding $300 million in losses, and adds to a history of crypto theft estimated at over $6.5 billion in recent years, including a record $2.02 billion stolen in 2025.
(Source：BeInCrypto)