When a genuine OG protocol gets hit, it shakes all of DeFi. Because the good ones build for years, not cycles, and when things break, the space rallies around intent. Two weeks ago, I spoke with @Marcus_Balancer, CEO of @Balancer, for alpha un#. Days later, Balancer V2 was hit by a $120M+ exploit across multiple chains. That timing makes this conversation more relevant, not less. We didn’t talk about security patches or exploits. We talked about how enduring DeFi infrastructure gets built, and why architecture, not reaction, defines resilience. Marcus walked me through Balancer’s path from V2 to V3. V3’s resilience wasn’t luck. It came from architectural calls made long before this exploit - choices that prioritized design integrity over quick iteration. >Centralized vault management. >Higher-precision math. >Tighter access controls. Security emerged as a design outcome, not an afterthought. We also unpacked Balancer’s platform-vs-product strategy, programmable liquidity, and how incentive-independent models can sustain over time. Recorded before the exploit - more relevant after. Link in comments 👇