AI models like Claude Opus 4.8 and ChatGPT 5.5 are empowering attackers, leading to a surge in crypto hacks, according to Immunefi CEO Mitchell Amador. He warns the next 3-4 years are critical for crypto's survival until defenses catch up.
North Korea-linked hackers stole about $2.06 billion of the $3.4 billion lost in crypto hacks in 2025 and are moving from phishing to physical infiltration, CertiK’s new report finds.
New analysis reveals state-sponsored groups now dominate crypto crime, laundering billions through sophisticated cross-chain networks.
Solana's Drift Protocol says most of the stolen funds linked to North Korean hackers remain traceable—and it has a plan to make victims whole.
Following the $290 million Kelp DAO hack, Digital Asset CEO Yuval Rooz says Wall Street firms are increasingly worried about their fiduciary duty to prevent state-sponsored hackers—particularly North Korean groups—from infiltrating their systems. Canton Network's 'guardrail' design allows participants to limit user control, a feature Rooz argues is necessary for security, though crypto purists criticize it as centralization. Arbitrum's decision to freeze $71 million in exposed funds shows the tension between DeFi's permissionless ideals and practical safety needs.
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Crypto hack losses in April reached $629.7 million, the highest monthly total in more than a year, driven mainly by major DeFi exploits at KelpDAO and Drift Protocol. Analysts say attackers are increasingly targeting offchain infrastructure rather than only smart contract bugs.
CertiK has urged crypto users not to overlook basic security practices as major crypto hacks spiked in April.
CertiK senior blockchain investigator Natalie Newson warns that real-time deepfakes, phishing attacks, supply chain compromises and cross-chain vulnerabilities will drive the biggest crypto hacks in 2026. The industry has already lost over $600 million in 2026, dominated by two North Korea-linked exploits in April: the $293 million Kelp DAO hack involving LayerZero's cross-chain protocol, and the $280 million Drift Protocol exploit. North Korean hackers also used AI for social engineering in a $100,000 Zerion wallet breach. Newson advises investors to use cold wallets and verify URLs. Regulators are responding, with the US Treasury expanding its cybersecurity threat identification to cover digital asset companies.
Tether's USDT market cap hit an all-time high, with DeFi users appearing to favor the stablecoin over USDC as a refuge from industry fallout.
Hackers have stolen over $17 billion across 518 crypto incidents over the past decade, with private key compromises being the leading attack vector, according to DefiLlama data. Around 22.3% of incidents stemmed from brute force private key attacks and 18.2% from unknown methods, while 10% involved multi-signature wallet phishing. The findings come after the industry's largest 2026 hack drained $290-293 million from Kelp DAO's rsETH bridge, with DeFi protocols losing $600 million in the past 60 days.
