Cetus exploit recovery plan is gaining attention as the protocol vows to repay affected users in full.
The project was hit with a major exploit on May 22, resulting in a loss of $223 million. Out of this, $61 million was bridged to Ethereum, and $162 million remains frozen by Sui validators.
Cetus confirmed it can reimburse all impacted users, but there’s a condition. Sui token holders must approve the release of the frozen funds through an upcoming on-chain vote. The decentralized exchange (DEX) has urged the community for full backing in this decision. According to Cetus, its own reserves, along with a secured loan from the Sui Foundation, are enough to cover the Ethereum-bridged assets.
Recovery plan hinges on the vote
The loan only applies to assets moved outside the Sui network. The remaining funds are still locked within the ecosystem. A successful vote would allow validators to release the $162 million and pave the way for complete reimbursements.
Sui Foundation described the loan as an “extraordinary measure” to restore user balances. The loan is already held in escrow, and its deployment awaits the smart contract-based community proposal. This bold step has sparked discussions about decentralized governance and how communities handle major setbacks.
Trust hinges on the Cetus exploit recovery plan
Cetus paused all trading activities after the breach, which exploited a flaw in pricing logic. The attacker was offered a $6 million bounty for returning the funds, but has not responded. Cetus developers expressed deep regret and promised a detailed, step-by-step repayment roadmap regardless of the vote’s outcome.
This case ranks as the ninth-largest exploit in crypto history, per the Rekt News leaderboard. The Cetus exploit recovery plan has now become a benchmark for how DeFi protocols handle disaster, transparency, and user protection.
Cetus has emphasized rebuilding user trust as its top mission. While it has yet to reveal a timeline for code fixes or trading resumption, the commitment to periodic updates signals long-term dedication.
If the community votes to release the funds, Cetus could set a precedent in how Web3 projects react to exploits.