Hackers stole more than $2.7 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, setting a new annual record for crypto-related thefts, according to data from multiple blockchain monitoring firms.
The losses were driven by dozens of attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges and decentralized finance projects during the year. The largest incident was a breach at Dubai-based exchange Bybit, where attackers made off with about $1.4 billion worth of digital assets.
Blockchain analysis firms and the FBI have attributed the attack to North Korean state-backed hackers, who have become the most prolific crypto thieves in recent years.
The Bybit breach was the biggest known cryptocurrency theft to date and ranks among the largest financial heists on record. Previous major crypto hacks include the 2022 attacks on Ronin Network and Poly Network, which resulted in losses of $624 million and $611 million, respectively.
Blockchain analytics firms Chainalysis and TRM Labs both estimated total crypto thefts at around $2.7 billion in 2025. Chainalysis said it also tracked an additional $700,000 stolen from individual crypto wallets.
Web3 security firm De.Fi, which maintains the REKT database of crypto exploits, reported a similar total.
North Korean hackers accounted for the majority of losses, stealing at least $2 billion during the year, according to Chainalysis and Elliptic.
Elliptic estimates that North Korean-linked groups have stolen roughly $6 billion in cryptocurrency since 2017, funds that analysts say are used to support the country’s sanctioned nuclear weapons program.
Other significant incidents in 2025 included a $223 million hack of decentralized exchange Cetus, a $128 million breach at Ethereum-based protocol Balancer, and a theft of more than $73 million from crypto exchange Phemex.
Crypto-related cybercrime has continued to rise in recent years. Hackers stole about $2.2 billion in digital assets in 2024 and roughly $2 billion in 2023, underscoring persistent security challenges across the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
