Cybercriminals stole a record $2.7 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, making it the worst year ever for crypto-related hacks, according to blockchain-monitoring firms. The losses highlight persistent security gaps across exchanges, decentralised finance (DeFi) platforms, and web3 projects.
Data from Chainalysis and TRM Labs show that dozens of attacks hit the sector during the year, surpassing the previous record set in 2022. Web3 security firm De.Fi also pegged total losses at $2.7 billion, underscoring the scale of the damage.
The biggest single theft was the $1.4 billion hack of Dubai-based exchange Bybit, now the largest known crypto heist in history. Blockchain analysts and the FBI attributed the attack to North Korean state-backed hackers.
READ ALSO: Cybersecurity experts link North Korean hackers to $1.4bn crypto heist
Other major incidents included a $223 million hack of decentralised exchange Cetus, a $128 million breach at Ethereum-based protocol Balancer, and a $73 million theft from crypto exchange Phemex. Individual wallets were not spared, with about $700,000 stolen, Chainalysis said.
Overall, North Korean hackers stole at least $2 billion in 2025, according to Chainalysis and Elliptic, bringing their estimated crypto haul since 2017 to around $6 billion — funds Western officials say help finance Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
“Crypto remains a high-value, low-risk target for sophisticated attackers,” said Ari Redbord, global head of policy at TRM Labs. He warned that without stronger security standards, regulation and cross-border cooperation, “large-scale crypto thefts will continue to define the sector.”
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