The attacker behind the Drift Protocol exploit has started laundering the stolen funds through Tornado Cash. 5,800 ETH (~$11.14M) was moved in the first 20 minutes.



In the April attack, assets taken from the Solana-based perpetual DEX were bridged to Ethereum and converted to 129,066 ETH (~$278M) at an average of $2,154. After sitting untouched for three months, the laundering process started today.

This $285M incident is one of the biggest exploits of 2026. The 129,066 ETH in the attacker's hands could create significant selling pressure if the laundering pace accelerates and funds reach exchanges.

The three-month wait suggests a very deliberate and planned approach. The rate of deposits into Tornado Cash will be an important indicator of how close potential sell-offs are.
#SummerCreationCamp
DRIFT-3.12%
ETH-0.72%
SOL-0.31%
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SpotOnly
· 4h ago
Every time I see news like this, I feel like my little position isn’t worth mentioning—what they can do with a single move is enough for me to tinker with for a lifetime. I guess I’ll just stick to DCA.
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GasFeeMadman
· 4h ago
What’s truly terrifying isn’t money laundering itself, but the fact that once these 129k ETH are converted into stablecoins, the entire market’s liquidity will be drained.
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HotColdCycle
· 4h ago
They waited three months before making their move. Either their psychological resilience is exceptional, or they’re waiting for a specific trigger condition—such as low gas fees or regulatory leniency.
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