Humanity Protocol said it will shift focus toward operational security after a $36 million hack, as the project confronts a threat that its founder says is increasingly targeting people rather than code.
Founder Terence Kwok said malicious actors are moving away from smart contract bugs and toward human weaknesses. That change matters because it broadens the attack surface beyond blockchain code, putting more weight on internal controls, user verification and day-to-day procedures.
The comment comes after the protocol suffered a major loss, though the source did not spell out the full mechanics of the exploit. What it did make clear is that the team now sees operational security as a higher priority than before. That usually means tighter processes, better controls around access and stronger checks on who can approve actions, but the company did not lay out specific measures in the announcement.
Humanity Protocol is part of the growing identity and verification push in crypto, a sector where security failures can damage trust quickly. A $36 million incident is large enough to force a reset in how a team thinks about risk, especially when the attack is framed as a human problem rather than a technical one. The distinction matters. Code can be audited, but people can still be persuaded, impersonated or pressured.
For traders watching HUMANITY, the near-term focus is whether the project provides a fuller post-mortem and whether it sets out concrete steps to harden operations. Any follow-up disclosure from the team, including details on the exploit and recovery plan, is likely to matter more than broad reassurances.
Humanity Protocol shifts security focus after $36M hack as threats target people
Humanity Protocol, a crypto identity-verification project, will prioritize operational security after a $36 million hack that founder Terence Kwok says reflects attackers targeting human weaknesses rather than only blockchain code. The incident puts pressure on the team to strengthen internal controls, access safeguards and approval checks, although it has not announced specific measures.