
Drift Protocol relaunches after its exploit with $150M Tether support, migrating to USDT and strengthening its position on Solana.
Author: Arushi Garg
High attention and emotional sentiment detected.
17 April, 2026: Drift Protocol is officially relaunching with a major partnership and support package from Tether. Tether is committing up to $127.5 million, with additional partners contributing ~$20 million, for a total of nearly $150 million in funding that includes a revenue-linked credit facility, ecosystem grants, and market-maker loans. As part of the relaunch, Drift is fully migrating its settlement layer from USDC to USDT, positioning itself to become the largest USDT-based perpetuals DEX on Solana.
High Signal Summary For A Quick Glance
Esports Bond
@iamesportsbond
@DriftProtocol @tether Putting USDT at the center makes sense for stability. But execution here will matter way more than structure.
Today, Drift is announcing a collaboration with @tether and other partners totaling up to nearly $150 million to support our commitment to a relaunch with USDT at the center, and a path to user recovery. These funds encompass a $100M revenue-linked credit facility, an ecosystem
04:48 PM·Apr 16, 2026
Ares🌱
@AresSprout
@DriftProtocol @tether USDC could've stopped the hack and did nothing, so USDT comes in to reimburse users Such an incredible PR move by Tether😂
Today, Drift is announcing a collaboration with @tether and other partners totaling up to nearly $150 million to support our commitment to a relaunch with USDT at the center, and a path to user recovery. These funds encompass a $100M revenue-linked credit facility, an ecosystem
04:33 PM·Apr 16, 2026
Sapna Singh
@AdvSapna_
@DriftProtocol @tether Wah #StilleAlive 2.0 as Drift says "We're not dead". Impacted users get a new transferable "recovery token" representing their claim. Full recovery isn't immediate or guaranteed at 100%. It's spread out ("over time"), so users will likely recover a portion gradually as the
Today, Drift is announcing a collaboration with @tether and other partners totaling up to nearly $150 million to support our commitment to a relaunch with USDT at the center, and a path to user recovery. These funds encompass a $100M revenue-linked credit facility, an ecosystem
03:05 PM·Apr 16, 2026
Drift Protocol is one of Solana’s largest perpetual futures DEXs, known for high-speed trading, deep liquidity, and multi-collateral support. On April 1, 2026, the protocol suffered a major exploit (widely attributed to North Korean hackers) that resulted in approximately $280–285 million in user losses, forcing the team to pause operations and begin recovery planning.
Today, April 16, 2026, Drift announced a landmark collaboration with Tether and other partners providing up to nearly $150 million in support. Tether is committing up to $127.5 million, with additional partners adding ~$20 million. The package includes a revenue-linked credit facility, ecosystem grants, and market-maker loans to fund a dedicated user recovery pool. As part of the relaunch, Drift is fully migrating its settlement layer from USDC to USDT, positioning itself to become the largest USDT-based perpetuals DEX on Solana.
Loading chart...
How the Tether-backed relaunch reshapes liquidity, recovery, and market positioning after the exploit
Drift suffered a major exploit on April 1, 2026 that resulted in roughly $280–285 million in losses, widely attributed to North Korean-linked hackers. The team immediately paused all trading activity and spent the following two weeks negotiating a comprehensive recovery plan.
The nearly $150 million support package is structured as a revenue-linked credit facility from Tether (up to $127.5 million), ecosystem grants, and dedicated market-maker loans from additional partners. This funding directly creates a user recovery pool while enabling Drift to fully migrate its settlement layer to USDT, positioning it as the largest USDT perpetuals DEX on Solana.
Our Crypto Talk is committed to unbiased, transparent, and true reporting to the best of our knowledge. This news article aims to provide accurate information in a timely manner. However, we advise the readers to verify facts independently and consult a professional before making any decisions based on the content since our sources could be wrong too. Check our Terms and conditions for more info.
Drift Protocol Relaunches with $150M Tether Partnership
Rhea Finance Exploited for $7.6M via Fake Token Attack
Bitcoin BIP-361 Targets Legacy Wallets in Quantum Security Push
$OPG Airdrop Registration Opens Ahead of April 21 TGE
Drift Protocol Relaunches with $150M Tether Partnership
Rhea Finance Exploited for $7.6M via Fake Token Attack
Bitcoin BIP-361 Targets Legacy Wallets in Quantum Security Push
$OPG Airdrop Registration Opens Ahead of April 21 TGE