GANA Payment Exploited for $3.1M via Tornado Cash Laundering
GANA Payment, a DeFi project on BNB Smart Chain, suffered a $3.1 million exploit after an attacker gained admin privileges on a core contract. The thief manipulated contract ownership to mint excess GANA tokens, then converted stolen assets into 1,140 BNB (≈$1.04 M) and 346.8 ETH (≈$1.05 M) through Tornado Cash, laundering over $2.1 million while around $1 million in ETH remains untouched. Blockchain researcher ZachXBT first flagged the suspicious moves, and security firm HashDit confirmed the breach rooted in unauthorized ownership changes. GANA’s team has paused trading, launched an emergency third-party audit, and plans to map user permissions and publish recovery steps in an upcoming project reboot.
Bearish
The exploit undermines confidence in BNB Smart Chain DeFi projects and highlights persistent security risks. Short-term, GANA token is likely to face selling pressure and heightened volatility as traders exit amid uncertainty. Similarly, past incidents such as the 2021 PancakeBunny flash loan attack triggered sharp price declines and market-wide caution. However, if GANA’s recovery roadmap and audit restore credibility, long-term stability could return. Market participants should monitor official updates and auditable fixes before reentering positions.