Analysis: Suspected Hack on THE Collateral Leaves Venus with a $2.15 Million Liquidation Deficit
Key Takeaways:
- An alleged hack involving 7,400 ETH from Tornado Cash set off a liquidation event impacting Venus Protocol with a shortfall of $2.15 million.
- The suspected hacker leveraged Aave to obtain $9.92 million stablecoins and used them strategically for THE price manipulation.
- A sequence of activities led to THE’s price spike and subsequent drop, exploiting it for potential profits on CEX.
- Post liquidations, $2.15 million in unresolved debt remains on Venus, indicating a lingering impact from the operation.
- This event underscores the vulnerabilities within DeFi platforms against sophisticated financial manipulations.
WEEX Crypto News, 2026-03-15 18:11:45
Unpacking the Venus Liquidation Shortfall
The significant February event exposed the vulnerabilities within decentralized finance (DeFi), as Venus Protocol endured an approximate $2.15 million liquidation deficit. This unraveling narrative began when a mysterious entity received 7,400 ETH from Tornado Cash, positioning for a cunning manipulation of THE’s market value. Through Aave, the operator secured approximately $9.92 million in stablecoins, strategically disseminating them across wallets. The intent was clear: inflate the value of THE significantly.
Maneuvering the Crypto Landscape: A Closer Look
Around 8:00 PM, the scheme’s gears began turning. THE was allegedly driven up on centralized exchanges, possibly preparing to rake in rewards from long positions. Swiftly, 36.1 million THE found its way into Venus, serving as collateral for borrowing digital assets like BTC, BNB, and CAKE. Yet, the rapid decline in THE’s market value soon followed—just 40 minutes later—plunging the collateral’s worth. Forced liquidations, heavily impacting Venus, sparked a downward spiral in THE, spotlighting a $2.15 million debt.
Deconstructing the Orchestrated Debt Creation
The engineering of this debt had a foundation in a web of transactions: 7,400 ETH funneled through Tornado Cash, stablecoins amassed with Aave’s help, and sudden volatilities in THE value—all culminating in Venus’s woes. While the on-chain view presents a no-profit scenario, the intricacies hint at profiting through on-chain liquidation mechanisms, sliding down THE’s price trajectory, eventually capitalizing on short positions off the chain.
The Mechanics of Profit amidst On-Chain Losses
On the surface, combining various strategies might show a break-even or loss. However, on-chain logic plus off-chain positioning revealed a different story. By leveraging on-chain activities leading to price depreciation, the orchestrators potentially secured profits through exchange dynamics. Even with visible on-chain losses, the unseen net gain from market positioning illustrates the diversified strategy utilizing both DeFi’s rising graphs and dipping curves.
Whale Movements: Strategic Shifts and Financial Repercussions
Adding layers to this narrative, a whale moved a colossal 3,667,000 THE to Binance, potentially banking a $729,000 profit—perhaps indicative of deeper market insights or predictive strategy execution. Similar behavior appeared from ShapeShift’s founder, shifting 17.75 million USDT into 8,576 ETH, hinting at confidence in Ethereum’s upward trend despite market fluctuations.
Financial Strategy or Gamble? The Case of TRUMP and Gate
In a contrasting scenario, after eight dormant months, another whale’s activity ended in a $1.28 million loss with a 210,000 TRUMP deposit to Gate. This reflects the volatility and the hazards unmatched tactile decision-making abilities either mitigate or enhance on DeFi platforms.
Key Lessons and Security Reflections for DeFi Platforms
This episode catalyzed vital reflections on DeFi’s security architecture. Balancing the openness that enables creative financial engineering with robust safeguards ensures that platforms like Venus can withstand creative exploitations designed with intricate, multi-layered financial strategies.
Future-Proofing DeFi: Strategies for Security and Growth
- Audit Protocol Enhancements: Implement comprehensive audit trails and smart contract reviews to mitigate manipulation risks.
- Real-time Monitoring: Adopt advanced analytics capable of flagging suspicious activity faster, allowing intervention and minimizing damage.
- Transparent Reporting: Strengthening community trust through detailed disclosures and regular updates on security features against economic vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The March 2026 DeFi turmoil offers invaluable lessons on layered protections, complexity understanding, and strategic navigation within the crypto world. As platforms evolve, integrating sophisticated security with tactical adaptability remains paramount to sustaining growth without sacrificing safety.
FAQ
What led to the Venus Protocol’s liquidation shortfall?
A sequence involving a suspected hack initiated through Tornado Cash to manipulate THE’s price resulted in an enforced Venus liquidation, leaving a $2.15 million shortfall.
How did the suspected hacker leverage stablecoins and collateral?
Through strategic borrowing of stablecoins from Aave, they enhanced THE’s market value, temporarily using it as Venus collateral before the forced downturn.
What ripple effects did the Venus event have on broader markets?
Beyond immediate liquidation impacts, it questioned DeFi protocols’ security, urging enhanced audibility, transparency, and real-time system checks against future exploits.
How did the whale’s action on Binance potentially influence the market?
By depositing a massive amount of THE post-inflation, profiting significantly indicates potential leveraging of volatile shifts for gains.
What role does strategic diversification play here?
It showcases how blending on-chain and off-chain strategies can exploit market intricacies, capturing profits from rising or falling trends under a single orchestrated plan.
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On March 16, 2026, in Dallas, Texas, USA, CanGu Company (New York Stock Exchange code: CANG, hereinafter referred to as "CanGu" or the "Company") today announced its unaudited financial performance for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2025. As a btc-42">bitcoin mining enterprise relying on a globally operated layout and dedicated to building an integrated energy and AI computing power platform, CanGu is actively advancing its business transformation and infrastructure development.
• Financial Performance:
Total revenue for the full year 2025 was $688.1 million, with $179.5 million in the fourth quarter.
Bitcoin mining business revenue for the full year was $675.5 million, with $172.4 million in the fourth quarter.
Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $24.5 million, while the fourth quarter was -$156.3 million.
• Mining Operations and Costs:
A total of 6,594.6 bitcoins were mined throughout the year, averaging 18.07 bitcoins per day; of which 1,718.3 bitcoins were mined in the fourth quarter, averaging 18.68 bitcoins per day.
The average mining cost for the full year (excluding miner depreciation) was $79,707 per bitcoin, and for the fourth quarter, it was $84,552;
The all-in sustaining costs were $97,272 and $106,251 per bitcoin, respectively.
As of the end of December 2025, the company has cumulatively produced 7,528.4 bitcoins since entering the bitcoin mining business.
• Strategic Progress:
The company has completed the termination of the American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program and transitioned to a direct listing on the NYSE to enhance information transparency and align with its strategic direction, with a long-term goal of expanding its investor base.
CEO Paul Yu stated: "2025 marked the company's first full year as a bitcoin mining enterprise, characterized by rapid execution and structural reshaping. We completed a comprehensive adjustment of our asset system and established a globally distributed mining network. Additionally, the company introduced a new management team, further strengthening our capabilities and competitive advantage in the digital asset and energy infrastructure space. The completion of the NYSE direct listing and USD pricing also signifies our transformation into a global AI infrastructure company."
"As we enter 2026, the company will continue to optimize its balance sheet structure and enhance operational efficiency and cost resilience through adjustments to the miner portfolio. At the same time, we are advancing our strategic transformation into an AI infrastructure provider. Leveraging EcoHash, we will utilize our capabilities in scalable computing power and energy networks to provide cost-effective AI inference solutions. The relevant site transformations and product development are progressing simultaneously, and the company is well-positioned to sustain its execution in the new phase."
The company's Chief Financial Officer, Michael Zhang, stated: "By 2025, the company is expected to achieve significant revenue growth through its scaled mining operations. Despite recording a net loss of $452.8 million from ongoing operations, mainly due to one-time transformation costs and market-driven fair value adjustments, the company, from a financial perspective, will reduce its leverage, optimize its Bitcoin reserve strategy and liquidity management, introduce new capital to strengthen its financial position, and seize investment opportunities in high-potential areas such as AI infrastructure while navigating market volatility."
The total revenue for the fourth quarter was $1.795 billion. Of this, the Bitcoin mining business contributed $1.724 billion in revenue, generating 1,718.3 Bitcoins during the quarter. Revenue from the international automobile trading business was $4.8 million.
The total operating costs and expenses for the fourth quarter amounted to $4.56 billion, primarily attributed to expenses related to the Bitcoin mining business, as well as impairment of mining machines and fair value losses on Bitcoin collateral receivables.
This includes:
· Cost of Revenue (excluding depreciation): $1.553 billion
· Cost of Revenue (depreciation): $38.1 million
· Operating Expenses: $9.9 million (including related-party expenses of $1.1 million)
· Mining Machine Impairment Loss: $81.4 million
· Fair Value Loss on Bitcoin Collateral Receivables: $171.4 million
The operating loss for the fourth quarter was $276.6 million, a significant increase from a loss of $0.7 million in the same period of 2024, primarily due to the downward trend in Bitcoin prices.
The net loss from ongoing operations was $285 million, compared to a net profit of $2.4 million in the same period last year.
The adjusted EBITDA was -$156.3 million, compared to $2.4 million in the same period last year.
The total revenue for the full year was $6.881 billion. Of this, the revenue from the Bitcoin mining business was $6.755 billion, with a total output of 6,594.6 Bitcoins for the year. Revenue from the international automobile trading business was $9.8 million.
The total annual operating costs and expenses amount to $1.1 billion.
Specifically, they include:
· Revenue Cost (excluding depreciation): $543.3 million
· Revenue Cost (depreciation): $116.6 million
· Operating Expenses: $28.9 million (including related-party expenses of $1.1 million)
· Miner Impairment Loss: $338.3 million
· Bitcoin Collateral Receivable Fair Value Change Loss: $96.5 million
The full-year operating loss is $437.1 million. The continuing operations net loss is $452.8 million, while in 2024, there was a net profit of $4.8 million.
The 2025 non-GAAP adjusted net profit is $24.5 million (compared to $5.7 million in 2024). This measure does not include share-based compensation expenses; refer to "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for details.
As of December 31, 2025, the company's key assets and liabilities are as follows:
· Cash and Cash Equivalents: $41.2 million
· Bitcoin Collateral Receivable (Non-current, related party): $663.0 million
· Miner Net Value: $248.7 million
· Long-Term Debt (related party): $557.6 million
In February 2026, the company sold 4,451 bitcoins and repaid a portion of related-party long-term debt to reduce financial leverage and optimize the asset-liability structure.
As per the stock repurchase plan disclosed on March 13, 2025, as of December 31, 2025, the company had repurchased a total of 890,155 shares of Class A common stock for approximately $1.2 million.

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