Crypto Exploits Siphon Record $1.1 Billion in First Half of 2025: Report
A new report from blockchain security firm Blockaid reveals that hackers stole a record $1.1 billion from cryptocurrency protocols through 212 onchain exploits in the first half of 2025. North Korea-linked groups accounted for $609 million, or 55% of the total losses.
Ethereum and Solana protocols suffered the heaviest network-level hits, with approximately $332 million and $326 million stolen respectively. Major breaches include KelpDAO, which lost $292 million, and Drift Protocol, which lost $285 million — both tied to the same North Korea cluster.
The report notes a sharp increase in attack frequency, rising from 18 incidents in January to 57 in June. April alone saw $635 million stolen. Blockaid verified more high-threshold exploits in this six-month period than across all of 2025, signaling a significant escalation in attacker scale and sophistication.
Operational security failures, such as privileged key misuse, drove roughly $790 million in damages, far outpacing losses from code vulnerabilities. Emerging risks include prompt injection attacks targeting AI agents and novel wallet delegation exploits that bypass traditional defenses.
Some vulnerabilities allow partial fund freezes or recoveries through code mechanisms, though outcomes vary widely across cases. The report underscores the need for improved security practices in the crypto ecosystem.