Tanzeel Akhtar is a seasoned journalist who has been reporting on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology since 2015. Her work has appeared in leading publications including The Wall Street Journal,…
1inch, a decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator, announced on Monday that it has joined forces with cybersecurity firm Innerworks to launch a new era of AI-driven protection for digital assets.
In a press release shared with CryptoNews, the firm explains that by integrating Innerworks’ device intelligence and RedTeam hacking platform, 1inch plans to transform the way DeFi protocols defend against cyber threats. Together, the companies are developing a “predictive AI-powered immune system” — one designed to anticipate and neutralize attacks before they happen.
DeFi’s rapid growth has attracted sophisticated threat actors capable of exploiting even minor vulnerabilities. 1inch said it maintains strong defenses, but the rise of AI-assisted hacking has changed the game. The new collaboration positions 1inch at the forefront of an industry-wide movement toward proactive, adaptive security.
From Defense to Immunity
Instead of waiting for attacks, Innerworks’ AI solution studies hacker behavior and feeds this intelligence directly into 1inch’s defense systems. The company’s platform continuously runs ethical penetration tests through its RedTeam system, exposing weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them.
As cybercriminals increasingly deploy AI-generated “synthetic” attacks that mimic human activity online, Innerworks uses similar frontier AI models to predict and counter these threats. All of this occurs seamlessly in the background, with zero user input required, ensuring a frictionless experience for 1inch’s 25 million users.
“We’re flipping the script on hackers,” said Sergej Kunz, Co-Founder of 1inch. “By leveraging AI to anticipate their movements, we can proactively adapt our defenses to meet emerging threats head-on. This commitment to continuous testing and improvement is what makes 1inch one of the most secure DeFi projects today.”
AI as the Ultimate Red Team
Innerworks CEO Oli Quie emphasized that modern hackers are no longer just human. “Hackers are synthetic, powered by AI, and capable of breaching every mainstream solution,” he explained.
“Our RedTeam proves this with a 99% bypass rate. By partnering with 1inch, we are converting this intelligence into a collective immune system that defends crypto — and eventually, the wider internet,” said Kunz.
This AI-driven approach marks a shift from traditional “firewall-style” defense to bio-inspired, adaptive protection, mirroring how living organisms build immunity over time.
Building a Safer Digital Economy
1inch said it continues to expand its DeFi ecosystem — offering seamless swaps, self-custody wallets, and even crypto debit cards — while ensuring that user safety evolves as rapidly as the technology itself.
Together, 1inch and Innerworks say they are redefining the standard for intelligent, predictive defense in Web3 — turning the battle against hackers into a science of digital immunity.
