Can DeFi protocols say goodbye to "code is law"? Is immutability verification really the ultimate security silver bullet?

【BitPush】DeFi security remains a hot topic. a16z Crypto security researcher Daejun Park recently shared a viewpoint: instead of continuing to rely on the superstition that “code is law,” DeFi protocols might as well do something more pragmatic — making standards themselves into law.

His idea is actually easy to understand. By hardcoding security standards and immutability checks into the protocol, ensuring each transaction follows predefined rules, and automatically reverting once a red line is triggered. Park believes this mechanism can handle almost all known code vulnerabilities, making it even harder for hackers to exploit during execution.

That said, reality can be a bit harsh. According to Slowmist data, last year hackers stole over $649 million through code vulnerabilities. Even established protocols like Balancer, which has been running since 2021, suffered a loss of $128 million last November due to code bugs. What’s more frustrating for developers is that hackers are now starting to use AI to find vulnerabilities, which means traditional audits may need to be upgraded.

However, this “immutability check” solution isn’t a panacea. Immunefi’s security lead pointed out a key issue: it will increase gas costs, and higher costs scare users away. Additionally, co-founder of Asymmetric Research mentioned a real dilemma — many vulnerabilities are too complex, and writing rules that can accurately detect attacks without false positives is no easy task.

It seems that the path to DeFi security still requires ongoing exploration. While defending against hackers and AI, developers also need to consider user experience and economic benefits — indeed, it’s a tricky game.