Drift’s $148 Million Rescue Deal Puts User Repayments on a Revenue-Linked Clock

A portion of Drift’s future revenue will be directed to a special pool to compensate users who lost funds in a $295 million hack. The Solana-based protocol, reeling from the breach, secured $148 million from Tether and other partners to stabilize operations and fund recovery. That sum includes a $100 million revenue-linked credit facility, ecosystem grants, and loans to market makers. Unlike direct reimbursement, the payout to victims hinges on the protocol generating enough income to fill the compensation pool over time. Affected users will receive a special token certifying their claim rights, though the exact redemption mechanics are still pending. Drift will relaunch with USDT as its base settlement layer, shifting from USDC after criticism that Circle failed to freeze stolen funds—attackers withdrew over $60 million in USDC. The new architecture will feature a community-managed multisignature system, time locks for administrative actions, and real-time alerts, with all components audited by Ottersec and Asymmetric. The DRIFT token surged more than 21% to $0.05 on the news. Drift aims to fully cover user losses as revenue grows, but victims’ recovery now depends on the protocol’s commercial success.