Record-Breaking Year for Cryptocurrency Theft
According to Chainalysis, a prominent investigative firm focused on blockchain analysis, 2025 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year for cryptocurrency theft, with the total amount already exceeding the entire losses from the previous year. In its mid-year report on crypto crime, Chainalysis revealed that cybercriminals have pilfered over $2.17 billion from cryptocurrency platforms in just the first half of 2025. This figure is indicative of a worrying trend, as it marks a staggering rise compared to 2024’s total losses.
Major Incidents and Trends
Central to this year’s unprecedented theft is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) audacious hack of the ByBit exchange, resulting in a massive $1.5 billion loss, which stands as the largest theft in cryptocurrency history. The data also shows that hackers have already stolen 17% more than they did by the same period in 2022, which was previously recognized as the worst year for crypto-related theft.
Future Projections and Criminal Tactics
If this trajectory continues, it is projected that the total losses could soar past the $4 billion mark by the end of 2025. An alarming shift in criminal tactics has also been noted; while traditional breaches have typically targeted exchanges, there has been a noticeable rise in attacks aimed at personal wallets. These individual user hackings now account for approximately 23.35% of all stolen funds this year.
Physical Violence in Cybercrime
Moreover, the report highlights a disturbing trend wherein physical violence is increasingly being utilized alongside cybercrime. Incidents termed ‘wrench attacks’—where aggressors use coercion or physical force against crypto owners—have been found to correlate with fluctuations in bitcoin’s market value, indicating that criminals may be taking advantage of favorable market conditions to target unsuspecting victims.
