Specialized AI detects 92% of real-world DeFi exploits

CoinDesk

by Oliver Knight

February 20, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

A new study reveals that a specialized AI developed by AI security firm Cecuro has achieved an impressive 92% detection rate for exploited DeFi vulnerabilities in real-world smart contracts. The research, conducted between October 2024 and early 2026, analyzed 90 compromised contracts representing $228 million in losses. In comparison, a baseline GPT-5.1-based coding agent detected only 34% of vulnerabilities, covering just $7.5 million in exploit value. The key to the specialized AI's success lies in its domain-specific approach, which includes DeFi-focused security heuristics and structured review phases layered on top of a general model. This methodology allowed it to identify high-value, complex vulnerabilities that other tools missed—even after professional audits had been conducted on some contracts. The findings underscore the growing concern over AI accelerating crypto crime, as evidenced by separate research showing that AI exploit capability is doubling every 1.3 months. The study highlights a critical gap between offensive and defensive AI capabilities in the crypto space. While bad actors increasingly use AI to automate hacking processes—such as North Korea's expanding use of AI for large-scale attacks—many teams still rely on general-purpose tools or one-time audits, leaving them vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. This emphasizes the need for specialized security solutions tailored to DeFi's unique risks. Cecuro's benchmark dataset and evaluation framework have been open-sourced on GitHub, offering a valuable resource for developers and researchers to improve AI-driven security in DeFi. However, the company has not released its full security agent due to concerns about potential misuse for offensive purposes. This cautious approach reflects the delicate balance between innovation and risk in the evolving AI landscape. The research also raises important questions about the future

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Originally published on CoinDesk on 2/20/2026