Prominent cryptocurrency critic Adam Cochran has raised concerns over decentralized protocol dYdX’s risk management practices following a recent security breach that resulted in a $9 million loss of insurance funds.
Cochran’s criticism comes as the platform grapples with the aftermath of the hack, with dYdX launching an investigation and offering bounties for information while refusing to negotiate with the attackers. Additionally, the platform’s founder, Antonio Juliano, suspects that the hack was a targeted attack and has sought the involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Criticizing dYdX’s risk management
In a critical comment directed at dYdX, Adam Cochran highlighted the platform’s shortcomings in risk management compared to its counterparts, specifically referencing Synthetix, a similar DeFi platform that provides tools for derivatives trading. Cochran pointed out that on Synthetix, users can engage in highly profitable trading, but the platform’s risk management mechanism responds by increasing interest rates.
This approach helps prevent users from executing manipulated bids on illiquid assets with large sums, reducing the potential for damage to the system. Cochran emphasized the importance of effective risk management in DeFi protocols, concluding his tweet with a disapproving gesture toward the dYdX team.
dYdX’s response to the hack
Antonio Juliano, the founder of dYdX, acknowledged the security breach and initiated an investigation into the attack. In an effort to gather information and identify the perpetrators, dYdX has offered bounties to individuals who provide valuable assistance to the investigation. However, Juliano made it clear that the platform would neither pay bounties to the attackers nor engage in negotiations with them.
Juliano revealed that substantial progress had been made in identifying the hacker or hackers responsible for the breach. He further disclosed that the platform is cooperating with other collaborators and is in the process of reporting the gathered information to the FBI.
dYdX has characterized the security breach as a targeted attack against the platform. The incident resulted in a significant loss of $9 million in insurance funds over the weekend, prompting swift action by the dYdX team.
