Drift Referral Code 2026: The Velocity Rebrand Explained
Drift Protocol no longer operates under its own name. After an exploit of roughly $280–295 million on 1 April 2026, the team rebranded the platform to Velocity, effective 1 July 2026 (The Defiant). As of 20 August 2026, Velocity runs in private beta for whitelisted users only, and no public referral or points program has been announced. This page replaces our earlier Drift referral guide, because recommending a referral signup on a platform in this state would be dishonest.
Key takeaways
Drift’s FUEL points program is over. FUEL was converted into DRIFT token claims in 2025 (Drift’s FUEL redemption notice); nothing accrues today.
Velocity is not publicly open. The docs describe it as a fork of Drift Protocol v2 (docs.velocity.exchange), and access is whitelist-only in the private beta.
Our old referral link targeted the legacy Drift app. We have retired the recommendation until Velocity opens publicly and publishes a referral program.
What happened to Drift
Drift was a full-stack Solana exchange covering perpetual futures, spot and borrow-lend under one cross-margined account, and its FUEL program was one of the larger points systems on Solana. The 1 April 2026 exploit, attributed by investigators to the Lazarus Group, drained the protocol and forced the relaunch plan. The team preserved the codebase (Velocity forks Drift v2) but restarted under a new brand with restricted access while the relaunch proceeds.
Where perp-DEX traders moved
If you came here for a working perp-DEX referral with live rewards, these are the venues we track that still operate publicly, with the codes we publish for each:
Hyperliquid (code AWD): 4% fee discount on your first $25M in volume. See the Hyperliquid referral guide.
Paradex (code bonus300): XP Season 3 runs live with weekly XP distributions. See the Paradex referral guide.
Extended (code MIN): a live points program plus a 10% fee discount on your first $50M in volume. See the Extended referral guide.
Pacifica (code AIRDROP): a live weekly points program on Solana. See the Pacifica referral guide.
Our Best Perp DEX 2026 comparison ranks the full field.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Drift referral code work in 2026? No. The platform rebranded to Velocity after the April 2026 exploit, and the private beta has no public referral program.
Is my old DRIFT token position affected? Token claims from the FUEL redemption remain a separate matter from the exploit recovery; follow the official Velocity channels for recovery specifics rather than third-party summaries.
Will Velocity have an airdrop or points program? Nothing is announced as of 20 August 2026. When Velocity opens publicly and documents a program, we will update this page.
Disclosure
Some links on this page lead to referral guides where we may earn a commission. Perp trading with leverage carries a high risk of rapid loss. Status details were verified against Velocity’s docs and tier-1 reporting on 20 August 2026. Update log: 20 August 2026: this page replaced the pre-exploit Drift referral guide with the Velocity status and honest alternatives.