Cetus Offers $5M Bounty for SUI Hacker After $223M Exploit Shakes Ecosystem

Cetus, the leading decentralized exchange and liquidity protocol on Sui, has escalated its response to a $223 million hack by offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the identification of the attacker. The exploit, which occurred on May 22, 2025, has sent shockwaves through the sui ecosystem, triggering a market downturn for SUI tokens.

Despite extending a WHITE hat deal to the anonymous hacker, Cetus reports no communication as of May 23. "We encourage the hacker to sincerely consider our offer terms," the protocol stated in a public update, signaling a shift from negotiation to enforcement. The bounty marks a strategic pivot in decentralized finance security protocols, where nine-figure exploits increasingly test the resilience of blockchain networks.