The coordinated emergency response by Cetus, Sui validators, and cybersecurity firm Hacken following the largest DeFi exploit in Sui’s history enabled the recovery of most of the stolen assets and minimized systemic fallout.

Opposing arguments

The Sui network has previously been accused of centralization due to high token concentration among founders and the limited number of validators.

The ability of Sui validators to selectively block transactions raises questions about the network’s long-term credibility as a censorship-resistant platform in the DeFi space.

The coordinated action by Sui validators to freeze hacker-controlled wallets during the $260 million Cetus exploit has been criticized as fundamentally contradicting the decentralized ethos of blockchain systems.

Quotes that support claims

The Cetus team is working with other stakeholders in the Sui ecosystem to freeze and recover all the stolen funds from the recent hack.

Cetus has since patched the vulnerability and resumed trading, working closely with the Sui Foundation and cybersecurity firm Hacken.

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Supporting arguments

Cetus halted its smart contracts immediately after a $260 million exploit in order to prevent additional fund losses.

The decision by Cetus to pause smart contracts during the $260 million hack was intended to protect user funds and initiate a responsible recovery process, including offering a whitehat agreement to the hacker.

Validators on the Sui blockchain successfully froze approximately $162 million in stolen funds following the Cetus protocol hack on May 22, 2025, reducing the impact of the $260 million theft.