Solana Launches STRIDE Security Framework to Protect DeFi Protocols

TLDR

• The Solana Foundation and Asymmetric Research launched STRIDE, a security auditing framework for Solana-based DeFi protocols
• STRIDE evaluates projects across eight security pillars, with results published publicly
• The Solana Incident Response Network (SIRN) was also launched for real-time threat coordination
• Protocols with over $10M in TVL that pass evaluation get free threat monitoring funded by the foundation
• DeFi hacks stole $168M across 34 protocols in Q1 2026, down from $1.58B in Q1 2025

The Solana Foundation has launched two new security programs aimed at reducing hacks and exploits across its DeFi ecosystem. The announcements were made Monday in partnership with Web3 security firm Asymmetric Research.

The first program is called STRIDE — short for Solana Trust, Resilience and Infrastructure for DeFi Enterprises. It is a structured framework for evaluating and monitoring the security of Solana-based protocols.

STRIDE assesses projects across eight areas: program security, governance and access control, oracle and dependency risk, infrastructure security, supply chain security, operational security, monitoring and incident response, and log management and forensics.

Asymmetric Research will independently evaluate projects using this framework. The results will be made publicly available to users and investors.

Protocols with more than $10 million in total value locked that pass the evaluation will receive ongoing security support and active threat monitoring, paid for by the Solana Foundation. Those with more than $100 million in TVL will also get access to formal verification tools for smart contracts.

Real-Time Incident Response Network

Alongside STRIDE, the foundation launched the Solana Incident Response Network, known as SIRN. It is a membership-based network of security firms and researchers focused on the Solana ecosystem.

Founding members include Asymmetric Research, OtterSec, and Neodyme. Members will share threat intelligence and coordinate responses to live incidents.

SIRN is open to all Solana-based protocols, but access will be prioritized based on TVL.

The Solana Foundation was clear that these programs do not shift security responsibility away from individual projects. “These resources are offered to ensure security, not replace what individual teams must do themselves,” the foundation said.

DeFi Hacks Still a Major Problem

The announcements come one week after the Drift Protocol lost around $280 million in a social engineering attack linked to North Korean threat actors.

In January, $40 million was drained from the Solana DeFi platform Step Finance. Reports from KuCoin said AI agents worsened the damage by executing large transfers on their own.

DeFi protocols across the board lost over $168 million to hackers in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from DefiLlama. That figure covers 34 separate protocols.

That number is down sharply from Q1 2025, when attackers stole $1.58 billion from DeFi projects.

The largest single exploit in Q1 2026 was the private key compromise of Step Finance.

The Solana Foundation said adversaries are “rapidly innovating” and that ongoing vigilance is required across the ecosystem.

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