Recent data from companies specializing in blockchain tracking shows that hacking operations in 2025 resulted in the theft of more than $2.7 billion in cryptocurrencies, an unprecedented record for breaches and seizures of digital assets.
Reports indicate that the current year has witnessed dozens of cyberattacks targeting cryptocurrency trading platforms, decentralized finance (DeFi) projects, and Web3 technologies, in the context of an ongoing wave of attacks plaguing the sector for years.
It is reported that the largest hack was against the “Bybit” platform based in Dubai, where hackers managed to seize nearly $1.4 billion in cryptocurrencies, according to “TechCrunch,” as reviewed by “Al Arabiya Business.”
Blockchain analysis companies, in addition to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), have accused hackers linked to the North Korean government of being responsible for this attack.
This is considered the largest hack of its kind in the history of cryptocurrency theft, as well as one of the largest financial heists ever.
The largest previous thefts amounted to $624 million in the “Ronin” network hack, and $611 million in the “Poly Network” attack, both of which occurred in 2022.
“Chainalysis” and “TRM Labs” estimated total thefts in 2025 at about $2.7 billion, while “Chainalysis” also noted the theft of about $700,000 additional dollars from individual digital wallets.
For its part, “De.Fi,” a Web3 security company that manages the “REKT” database for monitoring cryptocurrency hacks, confirmed the same estimate for the volume of losses during the year.
As usual, North Korean hackers topped the list of the largest beneficiaries of these attacks, after seizing at least $2 billion during 2025, according to estimates by “Chainalysis” and “Elliptic.”
Estimates indicate that Pyongyang has stolen nearly $6 billion in cryptocurrencies since 2017, and uses these funds to finance its sanctioned nuclear program.
Other notable attacks this year included the hacking of the decentralized “Cetus” platform, with losses of $223 million, in addition to an attack on the “Balancer” protocol built on the Ethereum network, which caused losses of $128 million, as well as the hacking of the “Phemex” platform and the theft of more than $73 million.
Data shows that the pace of attacks is still increasing, with the value of stolen cryptocurrencies reaching $2.2 billion in 2024, compared to about $2 billion in 2023, highlighting the growing security challenges facing the digital asset sector.
