Venus Protocol loses $3.7M in January 2026 flash loan exploit amid rising DeFi attacks

On 16 March 2026, Venus Protocol on BNB Chain disclosed that a flash loan exploit in January 2026 led to an estimated $3.7 million loss after a vault accounting error was abused. The incident came amid a broader wave of flash loan and oracle-manipulation attacks across DeFi, alongside large‑scale thefts linked to North Korean operators infiltrating crypto firms. Protocols are responding with enhanced monitoring, governance interventions, and research into AI‑driven defenses and more robust oracle designs.