The number of cryptocurrency hacking incidents hit a record in the first half of the year, but the l

Cryptocurrency hacking incidents set record in the first half of 2026

In the first half of 2026, the number of cryptocurrency hacking incidents set a historical record, with total losses exceeding US$1 billion, but still lower than the same period last year. North Korea-affiliated hacking groups dominate the theft of funds, while social engineering attacks on LinkedIn have led to the breach of multi-signature wallets, with Ethereum and Solana suffering the most losses. Artificial intelligence exploits have become another security concern, with Blockaid warning that risks such as prompt injection, unauthorized signatures and tool abuse are increasing.

Blockaid reported that the number of cryptocurrency hacking incidents hit a record in the first half of 2026, although total losses were lower than the same period last year. The number of exploit cases verified by the security company in six months exceeded the full year of 2025, reflecting a significant increase in attack activity in the digital asset space.

In the first half of this year, crypto projects lost more than US$1 billion, but the total loss was lower than in the first half of 2025 because last year's data included an unusual US$1.5 billion Bybit hacking incident, which significantly pushed up the overall loss.

According to Blockaid, the first half of 2026 has the most hacking attacks on record, based on the number of confirmed incidents rather than stolen value. The report pointed out that attackers were successful in breaking more projects, although a single exploit event usually involved a small amount of money.

In addition, survey results suggest that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting operational weaknesses in blockchain infrastructure. As a result, the growing number of incidents highlights the continuing security challenges faced by decentralized financial platforms and digital asset service providers.

North Korea-affiliated hacker groups accounted for the largest share of stolen funds during the reporting period, with Blockaid attributing both $285 million in Drift and $292 million in KelpDAO exploits to the same attackers.

In addition, the report warns that social engineering remains one of the most effective attack methods in the industry. According to Blockaid, LinkedIn-based phishing campaigns repeatedly breached signers of multi-signature wallets, and hackers subsequently carried out some of the biggest thefts of the year.

Ethereum and Solana suffer the largest blockchain losses

In the first half of 2026, Ethereum and Solana suffered the highest financial losses in the blockchain network. According to Blockaid, the Ethereum-based project lost approximately $332 million, while the Solana project lost approximately $326 million.

The report explains that Ethereum has attracted more code-based exploits because many high-value decentralized financial protocols run on the network. Stabiloin infrastructure, re-pledge platforms and decentralized exchange aggregators jointly host a large number of digital assets, making them an attractive target.

At the same time, attackers used different technologies when targeting the Solana project. According to Blockaid, hackers mainly attack signer infrastructure rather than exploit vulnerabilities in smart contract code, demonstrating the differences in attack strategies across different blockchain ecosystems.

In addition, despite differences in reporting methods, Blockaid's findings are highly consistent with estimates from other blockchain security companies. Immunefi estimates that approximately US$972 million in losses related to 207 hacking incidents, while Quill Audits reports that US$935.3 million was lost through 87 decentralized financial exploits during the same period.

AI-related exploits become an increasingly serious threat

Artificial intelligence has also become an emerging target for cryptocurrency attackers. Blockaid identified Bankr's $216,000 exploit as the first confirmed AI proxy attack, marking the beginning of a new category of blockchain security risks.

report predicts that with the widespread deployment of AI agents in cryptographic applications, AI-related exploit incidents will increase. If developers fail to strengthen security, prompt injection, unauthorized signatures, and tool abuse may become increasingly common.

Conclusion

The first half of 2026 shows that while total financial losses remain below last year's abnormally high levels, cryptocurrency attackers are carrying out more successful intrusions. The survey results highlight that as AI-driven applications become more deeply integrated into the blockchain ecosystem, it is becoming increasingly important to strengthen operational security, better signer protection, and improved security safeguards.