In the first half of 2025, hackers executed cyberattacks resulting in losses exceeding $2.1 billion, marking a concerning record and highlighting new threats in the crypto industry.
Overall Losses from Crypto Attacks
The main incident leading to such losses was the theft from Bybit in February, where $1.5 billion vanished. This single event accounted for nearly 70% of all stolen funds during the reporting period. Even without this incident, the overall losses would have exceeded half a billion dollars, making the first half of 2025 one of the most damaging since 2023.
Geopolitical Aspects of Crypto Theft
A new threat is emerging: state-backed actors using crypto theft as a geopolitical tool. North Korea has become the most aggressive, allegedly responsible for $1.6 billion in stolen assets this year, including the Bybit attack. These funds are believed to support weapons programs and circumvent sanctions. Recent politically motivated attacks are also surfacing, such as an incident with Iran’s top crypto exchange, Nobitex, where over $90 million was drained.
Future of Crypto Asset Security
As the crypto infrastructure grows, the difficulty of securing it from attacks increases. The main threat lies within systemic vulnerabilities: attacks often exploit critical access points like stolen keys and user interface flaws. According to TRM Labs, the average heist has ballooned to nearly $30 million, indicating a significant rise in threats in the realm of digital assets.
The year 2025 is marked by a sharp increase in cyberattacks on digital assets, highlighting the need to reevaluate security measures within the crypto industry.
