Crypto Hacks Fell 47% in H1 2026, But CertiK Says the Ecosystem Is No Safer

Crypto losses fell to $1.32 billion in early 2026

Losses from crypto exploits fell 46.8% year-on-year to $1.32 billion in the first half of 2026, according to security firm CertiK. The decline looks better than the underlying picture. Second-quarter exploit losses rose 59% from the previous quarter to $807.5 million, and attacks grew more frequent and more damaging for each event. CertiK said the lower total does not signal a safer market.

"A headline reading of 'losses down nearly 50%' would suggest a meaningfully safer ecosystem. The data does not support that conclusion.", 6 July 2026. — CertiK, crypto security firm, H1 2026 report

Attacks reached a record 207 incidents in six months

Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs recorded 207 crypto hacks in the first half, more than double the 83 incidents it logged a year earlier. That count is the highest TRM has measured across any six-month period. Smart contract exploits made up 125 incidents, or 60% of the total, yet caused limited financial damage. TRM found that infrastructure and operational compromises were about 15% of incidents but roughly 76% of losses. The firm put aggregate theft at $972 million, below CertiK's figure because the two firms count incidents differently.

"The lower total reflects the absence of another record setting theft, not a reduction in attacker capability.", 6 July 2026. — TRM Labs, blockchain intelligence firm, H1 2026 report

North Korea-linked hacks drove second-quarter losses

Wallet compromises were the largest attack type in the second quarter and drove much of the $807.5 million loss. More than 70% of that sum came from two exploits, the KelpDAO and Drift Protocol hacks. Both are attributed to North Korean state-sponsored hackers. Phishing led first-quarter losses, which reached $508.2 million. The shift shows a smaller set of larger breaches replacing broad, low-value attacks.

North Korea has stolen over $6 billion since 2017

North Korean hackers have taken more than $6 billion in crypto since 2017, according to TRM Labs. The firm linked about 66% of all funds stolen in the first half, roughly $643 million, to North Korea. In late June 2026, authorities from the United States, Japan, and South Korea met to address the country's cyber activity.

The Bybit theft skewed the annual comparison

The steep year-on-year decline partly reflects one outlier. The $1.4 billion Bybit hack, the largest crypto exploit on record, inflated the prior-year total. Excluding that theft, first-half losses were about 28% higher than a year earlier. CertiK said the industry now absorbs a "structurally higher rate of attack activity," with attacks becoming "targeted and more financially destructive per event."

Bitcoin held near $62,900 at time of publication

Bitcoin traded at $62,884 at the time of publication, up 5.6% over the past seven days but about 50% below its October 2025 all-time high (CoinPaprika, 7 July 2026). The broader crypto market was valued near $2.28 trillion, a backdrop of firm prices against rising security costs across the ecosystem.

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