Months-Long Planning Behind $116M Balancer Exploit

A new analysis reveals the devastating $116 million Balancer exploit wasn’t a spontaneous attack. On-chain investigators found months of meticulous planning, including advanced technical skill and flawless operational security (OPSEC). The attacker strategically concealed their activity through small, gradual transfers via Tornado Cash, an obscure privacy mixer commonly used to obfuscate transactions. This approach allowed them to build up funds unnoticed while maintaining anonymity before executing the exploit.