Deep Dive
1. $2.4M Recovered After yETH Exploit (6 December 2025)
Overview:
Yearn recovered $2.4M (857.49 pxETH) from the attacker’s wallets linked to the 30 November exploit, which drained $9M from its legacy yETH stableswap pool. The funds were retrieved via collaboration with Plume and Dinero, focusing on traceable LST assets. Tornado Cash laundering of ~1,000 ETH complicates full recovery.
What this means:
The partial recovery is bullish for user trust, demonstrating proactive crisis management. However, it highlights risks in maintaining legacy contracts. Yearn’s core vaults ($600M TVL) remain unaffected, limiting systemic risk.
(crypto.news)
2. $9M Infinite Mint Attack (30 November 2025)
Overview:
An attacker exploited a custom yETH stableswap contract, minting 235T yETH tokens to drain liquidity pools. The flaw stemmed from outdated code unrelated to Yearn’s current V2/V3 vaults. Security teams confirmed no broader protocol exposure.
What this means:
While bearish for short-term sentiment, the exploit’s isolation to deprecated code suggests robust core architecture. Yearn’s bug bounty program ($200K rewards) and audit history may face renewed scrutiny.
(Yahoo Finance)
3. Short Squeeze Defies Exploit Fallout (30 November 2025)
Overview:
YFI spiked 2% to $4,160 within hours of the exploit news, fueled by a short squeeze. Initial “Yearn exploit” headlines triggered aggressive shorting, but prices rebounded as clarity emerged about the attack’s limited scope.
What this means:
The volatility underscores YFI’s sensitivity to low liquidity (35,094 circulating supply) and leveraged positions. While neutral for fundamentals, it reflects market inefficiencies in pricing isolated risks.
Conclusion
Yearn’s response to the yETH exploit balances damage control with operational resilience, though legacy contract risks linger. The protocol’s ability to recover funds and maintain core functionality could shape its recovery trajectory. Will upgraded governance proposals (e.g., 90% revenue sharing) regain momentum post-crisis?