Drift Exploiter Moves $109M in ETH to Tornado Cash

Wallets linked to the April theft from Solana trading platform Drift Protocol transferred an estimated $109 million in Ether to Tornado Cash over two days, according to CryptoNews. The transactions have renewed scrutiny of the remaining funds controlled by the attacker following one of the largest decentralized finance thefts of the year.

According to blockchain tracker Onchain Lens and Arkham Intelligence data cited in the reporting, the wallets deposited 44,510 $ETH into the mixing service on October 20 and 21. Wednesday's activity involved approximately 18,800 $ETH worth $46 million, following an estimated $61 million in transfers on Tuesday. Combined, the two batches represent more than one-third of the $295 million lost in the April 1 incident.

Remaining Holdings and Attribution

Following the latest deposits, Arkham-labeled exploiter wallets retained 56,569 $ETH, valued at $138 million. This compares to an estimated 81,454 $ETH worth $194 million on Tuesday, with balances shifting as funds moved and market prices fluctuated.

Drift previously attributed the April attack to a North Korean threat group designated as UNC6862 by cybersecurity firm Mandiant. Investigators identified a compromise of operational access and transaction authorization rather than a smart contract error.

Recovery Framework

In response to the exploit, Drift opened DFX recovery claims on October 1, backed by an initial pool holding approximately 3.1 million USDT. The platform has reorganized its recovery efforts around a relaunched trading platform designed to contribute net protocol revenue toward user compensation.

Key facts

• Drift exploiter-linked wallets transferred 44,510 $ETH worth $109 million to Tornado Cash on October 20 and 21.
• Wednesday's activity accounted for approximately 18,800 $ETH valued at $46 million.
• Tracked exploiter wallets retained 56,569 $ETH valued at $138 million after the deposits.
• Mandiant previously attributed the April attack to North Korean threat group UNC6862.