Exploits on Curve Finance Stable Pools
Curve Finance, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, experienced exploits on its stable pools that were using Vyper, a smart contract programming language for the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). The affected pools included alETH, msETH, and pETH stable pools using Vyper 0.2.15. The exploit was caused by a malfunctioning reentrancy lock. However, crvUSD contracts and any pools with it were not affected. This incident impacted a significant portion of the DeFi ecosystem, as Curve’s stable pools are widely used by other protocols.
Curve Hacker Returns Some Funds
The CEO of Curve Finance, Michael Egorov, announced that around $22 million worth of CRV tokens had been drained from the swap pool due to the exploit. However, the total losses were estimated to be over $40 million. Following the attack, the hacker returned 2,879 ETH (worth approximately $5.4 million) to the protocol deployer address. Several other DeFi protocols, including Ellipsis, Alchemix, and Metronome, also reported exploited stable pools.
Impact on Curve Finance and CRV Token
The exploit has had a significant impact on Curve Finance. Its total value locked has dropped by 43%, falling from $3.26 billion to $1.87 billion. The native token of Curve Finance, CRV, experienced an 18% price drop after the attack. Currently trading at $0.621, CRV has lost 15% in the past 24 hours and is down 96% from its all-time high in August 2020. The broader DeFi ecosystem has also been heavily affected, with most tokens down 80-90% from their peak prices.
The Developing Situation
This story is still unfolding, and more information will become available through post-mortems. Curve Finance has previously been targeted, with its Conic Finance omnipool being exploited for $3.6 million in Ethereum. The impact of these exploits highlights the vulnerabilities in the DeFi ecosystem and the need for enhanced security measures.
Hot Take
The recent exploits on Curve Finance’s stable pools have exposed the vulnerabilities in the DeFi ecosystem. As the DeFi space continues to grow, it is crucial for protocols to prioritize security and implement robust measures to protect user funds. The significant losses suffered by Curve Finance and the decline in CRV token price serve as a reminder of the risks associated with decentralized finance.