- The number of protocols affected by the Drift Protocol vulnerability has expanded from 11 to 20 within the last 24 hours.
- Prime Numbers Fi has emerged as the hardest-hit victim among the new wave, with estimated losses exceeding $10 million.
- Total losses across the Solana ecosystem connected to the incident are now estimated at approximately $285 million.
The contagion from the recent Drift Protocol security breach has significantly widened, with the list of affected decentralized finance (DeFi) projects nearly doubling. According to the latest data from ecosystem trackers, 20 protocols have now confirmed exposure to the exploit, up from the 11 initially identified. This rapid expansion highlights the deep composability risks within the Solana network, where many projects integrated Drift’s vaults as yield-generating layers for their own products.
Among the newly identified victims, Prime Numbers Fi has sustained the most substantial damage, with projected losses surpassing $10 million. Other projects confirming various degrees of impact include Gauntlet ($6.4 million in exposure), Neutral Trade ($3.67 million), and Elemental DeFi ($2.9 million). The list of affected entities also grew to include PiggyBank, Perena, Vectis, Valeo, Amp Pay, Loopscale, and Exponent.
In response to the escalating crisis, the majority of these protocols have moved to suspend core functionalities, including minting, redemptions, deposits, and withdrawals, to prevent further drain. While some projects like PiggyBank (which lost approximately $106,000) have already pledged full compensation to users, others remain in the assessment phase. Prime Numbers Fi stated it is still monitoring the extent of the damage and has yet to announce a formal recovery plan.
The original exploit, which occurred on April 1, is believed to have been a private key compromise rather than a technical smart contract flaw. Security firms have noted that the attacker, potentially linked to the North Korean Lazarus Group, systematically drained Drift’s liquidity by accessing administrative credentials. By compromising the “root” protocol, the attacker effectively liquidated the underlying assets of dozens of dependent projects.
“The core reason so many protocols got caught is that Drift deeply rooted itself in the Solana DeFi stack,” noted security analysts. “When a foundational protocol fails, it creates a chain reaction that spreads through shared liquidity and integrated vaults before teams can react.”
Drift Protocol is currently working with law enforcement and blockchain intelligence firms to track the stolen funds, which were distributed across multiple wallets shortly after the heist. For now, the Solana community remains on high alert as the full scope of the $285 million incident continues to be audited.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute advice of any kind. Readers should conduct their own research before making any decisions.
© Cryptopress. For informational purposes only, not offered as advice of any kind.
