The Cetus protocol team acknowledged that previous reliance on audits and adoption of its smart contracts led to overconfidence, contributing to the success of the exploit on its platform in May 2025

Quotes that support claims

Cetus said it had heavily invested in smart contract audits and system safeguards since it launched, believing multiple reviews and widespread developer adoption offered sufficient protection. However, the team acknowledged the recent exploit made it clear that this sense of security was misplaced and that it 'must do more.'