Drift Recovery Update - June 3, 2026

Solana-based perpetual exchange Drift has provided a detailed update on its recovery plan following a security exploit, outlining key appointments and forensic findings as it prepares to relaunch. The platform aims to rebuild as the largest USDT-based perpetual exchange on Solana, with a dedicated recovery pool to address outstanding user losses.

Noah Prince, formerly Head of Protocol Engineering at Helium, has joined Drift as Head of Protocol. Prince, who led Helium’s full migration to Solana, will focus on strengthening the codebase and reinforcing platform protections. Drift said the protocol is undergoing a complete reboot with security as its foundation.

Former members of the risk management firm Gauntlet have also been engaged to contribute their expertise in risk and vault architecture for the relaunch. Their work includes reviewing the liquidation engine, refining funding-rate and market parameters, supporting launch configuration, liquidator optimization, and ongoing risk monitoring.

Drift engaged cybersecurity firm Mandiant to conduct an independent forensic analysis of the exploit. Mandiant’s investigation concluded that the attack was carried out by UNC6862, a North Korean threat group with ties to state-sponsored actors involved in similar attacks on other platforms. The group’s tactics and operational telemetry aligned with historical North Korean operations, according to the report.

Drift emphasized that its priority remains a security-first relaunch to accelerate user recovery through platform performance. Further updates on recovery mechanics and timing are expected in the coming weeks.