Hackers stole over $2.7B in crypto in 2025, data shows

In a startling revelation, cybercriminals have orchestrated thefts amounting to a staggering $2.7 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, setting a new record for hacking incidents within the digital currency sphere. This year witnessed a series of high-profile breaches targeting various cryptocurrency exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, marking a troubling trend for the industry. The most significant incident occurred at Bybit, a Dubai-based crypto exchange, where hackers managed to siphon off approximately $1.4 billion in digital assets. This brazen heist has been attributed to North Korean government hackers, a group that has emerged as the foremost threat to cryptocurrency security in recent years. Their audacious actions have resulted in the largest known cryptocurrency theft in history, solidifying their notorious reputation. Prior to the Bybit breach, the largest crypto thefts recorded were $624 million from the Ronin Network and $611 million from the Poly Network in 2022. Analysts from Chainalysis and TRM Labs have corroborated the total theft figure of $2.7 billion for this year, sharing their findings with TechCrunch. Additionally, Chainalysis reported a separate incident where $700,000 was stolen from individual crypto wallets. The web3 security firm De.Fi, which maintains the REKT database tracking crypto thefts, echoed these estimates, affirming the $2.7 billion figure for stolen assets in 2025. Notably, North Korean hackers have reportedly amassed over $2 billion this year alone, contributing to an estimated total of $6 billion stolen since 2017. These funds are believed to support the country's controversial nuclear weapons program. Other notable hacks in 2025 include the $223 million theft from the decentralized exchange Cetus, a $128 million breach of the Ethereum-based protocol Balancer, and over $73 million stolen from the crypto exchange Phemex. The relentless assault on crypto exchanges and DeFi projects shows no signs of abating, with previous years also witnessing substantial losses: $2.2 billion in 2024 and $2 billion in 2023.