Decentralized exchange Cetus Protocol is back online after weathering a $223 million exploit that shook its Sui-based platform last month.
On June 8, the DEX relaunched operations and restored most liquidity pools, marking what the team calls not "just a relaunch, but a renewal.”
From Exploit to Relaunch
The exploit, which took place on May 22, stemmed from an integer overflow bug in a math library used by Cetus’ contracts. This allowed the attacker to deposit one token while tricking the system into crediting millions.
The result: mass liquidation of assets and disruption of pool balances. According to Cetus, the hack affected only Sui-based pools, with Aptos remaining untouched.
Following swift action by the Sui community, validators managed to freeze $162 million worth of the stolen assets, much of which has since been returned. To fill the remaining gap, Cetus deployed its entire $7 million treasury and secured a $30 million loan from the Sui Foundation.
Recovered liquidity rates across pools now range from 85% to 99%, and impacted users will receive the remainder in CETUS tokens over 12 months, starting June 10.
The team has patched the original vulnerability, conducted multiple audits, and implemented a compensation contract. Affected liquidity provider (LP) position NFTs will now serve as proof of loss, allowing users to claim CETUS tokens even after withdrawing.
What Comes Next
With trading features restored, including swaps, LP management, and fee claiming, the protocol is now focused on strengthening its security infrastructure.
Plans include another round of comprehensive audits, new real-time monitoring tools, and an updated roadmap. Cetus also aims to open source its codebase and introduce a whitehat bounty program to incentivize community-led security efforts.
The team says legal actions are ongoing in multiple jurisdictions, and investigations continue as the attacker attempts to launder remaining assets via services like Tornado Cash.
Should additional funds be recovered, users may be able to redeem remaining CETUS compensation for USDC, or see the funds used in future token buybacks.
For now, Cetus users regain access to most of their liquidity, and the protocol looks ahead to rebuilding trust across the DeFi ecosystem.
