1inch launches bounty program to test, challenge and improve Aqua

As part of the Aqua developer release, 1inch is opening a bug and optimization bounty program, inviting developers to find bugs and make optimization and improvement suggestions.

DeFi was built on collaboration - and 1inch is taking that spirit even further. With the launch of the Aqua bounty program, we’re inviting developers to help shape the future of decentralized liquidity. This is more than just a bug hunt. It’s a call to help optimize and shape Aqua and its SwapVM partner protocol through shared innovation and open contribution. Every contribution will benefit the entire DeFi ecosystem.

Aqua, the new protocol developed by 1inch, is built to transform how capital and yield strategies work in DeFi. It revolutionizes liquidity access and capital efficiency by allowing the same capital to power multiple strategies at once - without locking funds or taking them out of users’ wallets. With Aqua, every wallet becomes a dynamic, self-custodial source of liquidity, bringing DeFi closer to a unified, seamless ecosystem.

Rewards and scope

Eligible participants may receive a bounty of up to USD $100,000, determined at 1inch’s sole discretion based on the severity, impact and quality of the report and subject to the Aqua Bounty Program Terms.

The bounty program covers the following repositories:

• Aqua Protocol - smart contracts (critical)
• Swap VM - smart contracts (critical)
• Aqua Protocol and Swap VM - SDKs (critical)

What we’re looking for

In-scope vulnerabilities could include:

• Reordering and reentrancy
• Theft or loss of funds
• Unauthorized or manipulated transactions
• Overflows and underflows
• Logic or state inconsistencies.

All submissions must include a Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrating real-world impact.

Optimization and improvement proposals

The bounty program also welcomes constructive improvement ideas aimed at enhancing Aqua’s performance and resilience.

In-scope proposals could include:

• Accounting/invariant correctness (liquidity shares, fees, rounding)
• MEV and price-manipulation resistance
• New mechanics that improve safety or capital efficiency
• Significant gas-efficiency improvements (≥1k gas per typical transaction)
• Security hardening, role tightening, or invariant enforcement.

Each proposal should outline the rationale, expected impact, affected components and minimal tests or benchmarks. By submitting any vulnerability report, proof of concept, code or improvement proposal under this program, you grant 1inch a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, modify, distribute and incorporate your submission into Aqua, SwapVM and other 1inch products and documentation.

Program rules

To ensure fairness and security, participants must follow the program’s strict ethical and technical guidelines:

• Only test within the defined scope.
• No social engineering, spam, or denial-of-service attacks.
• AI-generated or automated scanning reports will not be accepted.
• Non-production vulnerabilities are capped at high severity.
• Disclosure of any findings is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent from 1inch.

Coordinated disclosure and eligibility

Participation in this bounty program is not available to individuals or entities who are (i) subject to sanctions or listed on any government watchlist, (ii) located in a jurisdiction where participation or receipt of rewards is prohibited by applicable law, or (iii) under 18 years of age. 1inch may require identity or KYC checks before paying any reward.

To qualify for a reward, participants must:

• Be the first reporter of the vulnerability or optimization.
• Submit the report within 24 hours of discovery.
• Include a clear technical description and reproduction steps (screenshots or PoC code if needed).
• Keep all details confidential until approved for disclosure by 1inch.

Strengthening Aqua together

The Aqua bounty program is an open invitation to the DeFi developer community to help make Aqua smarter, safer, and faster. By contributing to Aqua’s code security and efficiency, participants play a key role in advancing 1inch’s mission to bring next-generation liquidity architecture to DeFi.

Join the Aqua bounty program now!