Drift Protocol Hacker Launders $61 Million in Ethereum Through Tornado Cash

Drift Protocol hacker — A wallet linked to the $295 million exploit of the Drift Protocol in April has laundered a further $61 million worth of Ethereum (ETH) through the Tornado Cash mixing service.

On October 20, 2026, the attacker sent 25,700 ETH to the crypto mixer over a span of roughly two hours, according to on-chain data reported by blockchain investigators. The perpetrator, suspected of links to North Korea, used Tornado Cash to obscure the origin of the stolen funds.

The illicit transfer marks a significant laundering event related to the ongoing Drift incident. Despite this large move, the attacker’s associated wallet still holds approximately $198 million in crypto assets. The exploit, one of the largest of 2024, targeted vulnerabilities in Drift’s decentralized exchange on the Solana network.

This action highlights the continued challenge of tracing and recovering funds from major cross-chain attacks, even as authorities increase scrutiny on mixers like Tornado Cash. The incident underscores the persistent risk of fund laundering in the DeFi ecosystem following large-scale exploits.