I need to talk about something that’s been on my mind since I heard the news. You know how there are countless DeFi protocols out there getting hacked left and right? This one hit differently for me. Why? Because it’s zkLend on StarkNet, and I actually trusted this protocol. Let me explain why this hack has me rethinking everything.  

I’ve been in the StarkNet ecosystem for a while, even participated in the StarkNet DeFi Spring and earned a decent amount of STRK tokens, which I sold later because, let’s be honest, the token wasn’t exactly stable. But zkLend? I trusted it. I thought, “Hey, StarkNet is still a smaller Layer 2, not as much money flowing through it compared to others, so maybe hackers won’t prioritize it.” Well, I was wrong.  

The hack resulted in a loss of $9.5 million, and the reason? A rounding error in the protocol’s code. Yep, a simple mathematical flaw that the hackers exploited. It’s crazy how something so small can lead to such massive losses.  

Here’s the scary part: if zkLend, a protocol I trusted, can get hacked, what about the other protocols you’re using? This is why I’ve been diving deep into audit reports and using AI tools to analyze risks faster. Trust me, you don’t want to spend hours on DeFiLlama trying to figure this stuff out manually.  

I asked an AI to pull up zkLend’s audit reports, and guess what? It had a 50% security rating at one point. That’s bottom 20th percentile. If I’d seen that before, I might’ve thought twice about putting my ETH and USDC there.  

This hack isn’t just about zkLend. It’s a wake-up call for the entire DeFi space. The AI flagged other protocols like Silo, Venus, and even Compound as potentially vulnerable to similar exploits. Flash loans, oracle manipulations, rounding errors—these are all vectors hackers are actively exploiting.  

My advice? Diversify your exposure. Don’t put all your funds in one protocol, no matter how much you trust it. Do your own research. Use tools like AI to analyze audit reports and identify risks faster. Consider holding tokens instead of farming. If you believe in a project, sometimes it’s safer to just hold the token rather than exposing yourself to smart contract risks.  

I’ll be honest, this hack has made me rethink my entire DeFi strategy. I’m reducing my exposure to certain platforms and diversifying more. You should too.  

If you want to dive deeper into the zkLend hack, the vulnerabilities, and how to protect yourself, watch my video below. I’ll show you exactly how I’m using AI to analyze risks and keep my funds safe.  

Stay safe out there, and remember: in DeFi, trust no one—not even the protocols you think are bulletproof.  

What are your thoughts on the zkLend hack? Are you rethinking your DeFi strategy? Let me know in the comments!