Crypto hacks drop; supply-chain breaches and phishing rise
Crypto hackers stole $3.3 billion in 2025, but the number of incidents dropped sharply as losses clustered in fewer, more advanced supply-chain intrusions, according to new data from blockchain security firm CertiK.
While total losses remained high, the decline in incident counts and a lower median theft indicate improving protocol-level defenses, pushing attackers away from straightforward code flaws and toward phishing and infrastructure-layer vectors.
CertiK reported that supply-chain breaches were the most damaging, responsible for $1.45 billion across two incidents, including the $1.4 billion Bybit hack in February. The report said the Bybit exploit suggests well-funded, coordinated threat actors are increasingly active and projected further “sophistication” in supply-chain attacks as infrastructure providers become targets.
Crypto hacks by amount and incident, yearly chart. Source: CertiK
The total number of security incidents fell by 162 year over year, indicating that blockchain cybersecurity measures are strengthening even as attackers aim for larger targets.
The average loss per hack reached $5.3 million, up 66% from the prior year. However, the median loss — less affected by extreme outliers — declined to $103,966, a 35.75% decrease over the same period.
Cryptop hacks by incident type and amount of losses, one-year chart. Source: CertiK
Code vulnerabilities recede as “pig butchering” scams impact crypto users
Phishing emerged as the second-largest threat, costing crypto users a combined $722 million across 248 incidents.
Recently, an investor lost their entire Bitcoin (BTC) retirement savings in an artificial intelligence-enabled romance fraud, commonly referred to as a “pig butchering” scam, in which scammers use sustained emotional manipulation to persuade victims to transfer funds.
Pig butchering victim stats, grooming time. Source: Cyvers
Pig butchering scams, a subset of phishing, cost the industry an estimated $5.5 billion in 2024 across 200,000 cases.
According to blockchain security platform Cyvers, the average grooming period lasts between one and two weeks in 35% of cases, while 10% involve grooming that can extend up to three months.
In June, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the seizure of more than $225 million in cryptocurrency linked to pig butchering schemes.
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