zkLend Winds Down After Major Security Breach

zkLend, a decentralized lending protocol on Starknet, announced on June 25, 2025, that it is winding down operations following a significant security breach in February.

zkLend’s decision highlights the vulnerability of DeFi protocols to significant breaches, impacting user trust and market viability.

zkLend faced a severe $9.5 million security breach in February 2025, leading to a major decision to wind down operations. The protocol will allocate its remaining $200,000 treasury to a user recovery fund. Following the exploit, key players decided that continuing operations was untenable, especially as the ZEND token was delisted from major exchanges like Bybit and KuCoin.

The delisting of ZEND exacerbated liquidity issues, constraining market presence and affecting the protocol’s viability. The $9.5 million exploit critically undermined user confidence, echoing past incidents in the DeFi sector and resulting in a total operational halt for zkLend.

“We have been proud to be part of Starknet’s journey from its early beginnings and to witness its growth and evolution firsthand. We will continue to remain online and committed to the recovery of stolen funds through any means necessary.” – zkLend Official Update

Security firm zeroShadow remains actively engaged in asset recovery for zkLend. Any recovered funds from the exploit will be directed back to affected users. The firm continues its efforts to trace the stolen assets to ensure user compensation.

Potential outcomes from zkLend’s wind-down include increased regulatory scrutiny on DeFi security measures. Industry analysts may observe a growing trend in auditing practices as open-source commitments by zkLend send a signal for improved protocol frameworks.