Original source: Gate.io

In the world of cryptocurrency, security is always the sword of Damocles hanging overhead. In February 2025, well-known cryptocurrency trading platforms suffered an attack that shocked the industry, resulting in the theft of large assets, triggering profound reflection on the security of cryptocurrency trading platforms around the world.

This incident is not an isolated case. It reveals deep-seated problems in technology, management, collaboration and user protection across the industry. This article will start from these four dimensions to deeply discuss the security status and future development direction of cryptocurrency trading platforms.

Technical defense line: Limitations of cold wallets and multi-signature mechanisms

In this incident, hackers successfully broke through the defense line of multi-sign cold wallets by forging executive instructions and tampering with the front-end interface. The incident prompted the industry to re-examine cold wallet security standards. Cold wallets serve as a “safe” for cryptocurrency storage, and their security has always been considered to be the highest standard in the industry. However, this theft incident shows that cold wallets are not absolutely safe. The real key lies in the combination of technical means and internal management.

From a technical perspective, the security of cold wallets relies on technologies such as multi-signature, offline storage, and hardware security modules (HSM). However, technical means are not foolproof. Hackers can bypass cold wallet protection through technical vulnerabilities or social engineering attacks. Therefore, the security of cold wallets needs to be strengthened from the following aspects:

The upgrade of the multi-signature mechanism is the key.Although the traditional multi-signature mechanism increases the difficulty of attacks, it does not fundamentally eliminate risks. Cold wallets need to follow the principles of off-site backup, bank custody, multiple storage media, multiple signatures and complete offline. At the same time, more complex signature algorithms such as Threshold Signature and Multi-Party Computing (MPC) are introduced. These measures can Ensure that even if some keys are leaked, assets are still safe.

In-depth audits of smart contracts are crucial.In this incident, hackers induced multi-signature authorization by tampering with the front-end interface. This attack path indicates that the vulnerability of smart contracts may become a breakthrough for hackers. Therefore, strengthening the audit of smart contracts and introducing a combination of automated audit tools and manual audit will help improve the security and transparency of contract codes, thereby reducing potential risks.

The widespread use of hardware security modules (HSMs) is an effective means to improve the security of cold wallets.Storage of private keys by HSM ensures that the generation, storage and use of private keys are completely carried out in a secure environment, which can effectively prevent private keys from being leaked. In addition, the combination of hardware wallets and biometric technology can further improve the security of user assets.

Management loopholes: Prevention and response to internal operational risks

In this incident, hackers took advantage of the operating loopholes of insiders to forge instructions to induce multi-signature authorization, and finally completed the attack. This path shows that even if the technical defense line is strong enough, weak links in internal management can still be exploited by hackers. Therefore, preventing the coupling risks of technical and internal operating loopholes has become a core issue in the security management of trading platforms.

In the cryptocurrency industry,The deepening of the zero-trust security system is the key to preventing internal risks.Adopt the principle of “continuous verification, never trust” to ensure that all operations require strict authentication and authorization. At the same time, role-based access control (RBAC) and the minimum authority principle (PoLP) are introduced to restrict employees ‘access to sensitive data and fundamentally reduce security risks.

For example, Gate.io ensures transparency and traceability of critical operations through strict access controls and regular authority reviews. This measure can ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive data, reduce security risks from internal sources, and further consolidate the security management system of cryptocurrency trading platforms.

Transparency and auditing of operating processes is another key to preventing internal risks.Trading platforms need to establish strict internal operating procedures to ensure the transparency and traceability of key operations (such as cold wallet transfers), and conduct regular internal audits to detect and repair potential vulnerabilities in a timely manner. In this way, the trading platform can ensure that every operation is under strict monitoring and prevent internal personnel from operating errors or malicious behavior.

Employee security training and simulated attack drills are important means to improve internal security awareness.Trading platforms need to regularly provide safety training to employees to enhance their awareness of prevention against social engineering attacks. At the same time, simulated attack drills can also be used to test employees ‘ability to respond in real attack scenarios. In this way, employees can remain calm when faced with complex attacks and quickly take the right response.

Industry collaboration: The necessity and implementation path of cross-transaction platform security alliances

After the incident occurred, multiple trading platforms such as Coinbase and Binance responded quickly and successfully blocked hacker addresses related to the incident through cooperation and information sharing. This action helps reduce the circulation of stolen assets and the possibility of money laundering, and also demonstrates the huge potential of cross-transaction platform cooperation in responding to security incidents.

In the cryptocurrency industry,Industry collaboration is the key to improving overall security levels.The complexity and diversity of hacking attacks have exceeded the response capabilities of a single trading platform. Therefore, establishing a security attack and defense alliance across transaction platforms and improving the overall defense level of the industry by sharing hacker attack signature libraries and collaborative vulnerability reward plans are inevitable trends in the future development of the industry.

The sharing of hacking signature libraries is the foundation of cross-transaction platform collaboration.Each trading platform shares known hacker attack characteristics, attack paths and attack methods into the alliance database, which can effectively help other trading platforms warn and prevent similar attacks in advance.

The collaborative vulnerability reward program is an important means to improve the security level of the industry.The vulnerability bounty program led and jointly established by head trading platforms can attract global security researchers to participate and discover and repair potential vulnerabilities in a timely manner. In this way, the industry can make full use of the power of the global security community to improve the overall level of security protection.

Taking Gate.io as an example, the platform has long established a vulnerability reward program to encourage security researchers to report possible security vulnerabilities on the platform. The continuous expansion of security review dimensions is beneficial to the security of trading platforms. It enables trading platforms to discover and repair potential security problems in a timely manner, further improving the overall security of the platform.

At the same time, the coordination of Incident Response Service mechanisms is also the key to responding to major security incidents. Establishing a unified Incident Response Service mechanism can ensure that in the event of a major security incident, various trading platforms can quickly coordinate operations to block hacker assets and trace the source of the attack. This close cooperation across trading platforms not only improves the speed of event response, but also minimizes losses and effectively combats malicious attacks by hackers.

User protection: asset recovery and compensation mechanism in the worst case

Despite the various security measures adopted by trading platforms, the complexity and unpredictability of hacking attacks still exist. In the worst case, how to ensure the priority of recovery of user assets is a problem that every trading platform must face.

Asset recovery priority is the core of user rights protection.In the event of a security incident, the trading platform should give priority to protecting the right of recourse to user assets. By working with blockchain security companies, we track the flow of stolen assets and do our best to recover user assets.

In the cryptocurrency industry,The risk reserve mechanism is an important guarantee for the safety of user assets.By establishing a sound risk reserve system, we ensure that financial losses can be quickly covered in extreme circumstances. At present, mainstream trading platforms all adopt a 1:1 asset reserve mechanism, which is absolutely necessary for users, but transparency and reliability still need time to verify.

Simply put, even if stolen assets cannot be recovered, user interests will not be harmed. This is the meaning of the existence of reserves. In this way, users can receive the greatest degree of protection when faced with security incidents.

As the frequency of reserve data updates of various trading platforms accelerates and the amount of reserves continues to break through, the protection for users becomes more and more reliable. It is undeniable that this industry’s largest fund theft incident is undoubtedly an important opportunity to strengthen the “security defense line” of trading platforms.

Also,User education and safety advice are important means to improve user safety awareness.Trading platforms should regularly issue security tips to users, advising users to give priority to hardware wallets to store assets and avoid long-term deposits of large amounts of funds on trading platforms.

An industry-wide security outlook

Many large-value asset theft incidents have sounded alarm for the entire cryptocurrency industry. These incidents remind us that security is a systemic issue that needs to be strengthened from multiple dimensions such as technology, management, industry collaboration and user protection.

The cryptocurrency industry is in a stage of rapid development, and security issues are not only a technical challenge, but also a cornerstone of trust. Only through the joint efforts of the entire industry and continuously strengthening its technical, management and collaboration capabilities can the industry truly mature and win the trust and support of users. In the future, with the advancement of technology and the improvement of industry standards, we have reason to believe that the cryptocurrency industry will become more secure, transparent and reliable.

This article is from a submission and does not represent the views of BlockBeats