TheBlock
H1 2026 was the most-hacked half-year on record, with crypto losses crossing $1 billion, according to a new report from Blockaid. The total still trails full-year 2025, which was inflated by the $1.5 billion Bybit hack, but the pace of incidents over the past six months is unprecedented.
Why it matters
DPRK-linked hackers were responsible for the largest share of money stolen, totaling nearly $600 million, Blockaid said. That single-actor share is itself a tell: state-aligned threat groups continue to view crypto as a primary treasury target, and the operational sophistication of their campaigns is compounding with each cycle. The report expects similar attacks to continue through the second half.
Market impact
The more forward-looking signal is the predicted rise in AI-related exploits. As on-chain agents, autonomous trading bots, and LLM-driven wallet workflows proliferate, the attack surface shifts from purely smart-contract bugs to prompt injection, model exfiltration, and compromised signing pipelines. Security teams and on-chain risk teams should price that transition into their threat models now, not after the first nine-figure AI-driven loss lands.
Frequently asked questions
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How much did crypto hackers steal in H1 2026?
Crypto losses crossed $1 billion in H1 2026, making it the most-hacked half-year on record, according to Blockaid. The full-year 2025 total still sits higher because of the $1.5 billion Bybit hack.
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How much did DPRK hackers steal in crypto in H1 2026?
DPRK-linked hackers were responsible for the largest share of H1 2026 thefts, totaling nearly $600 million, per Blockaid. The firm expects similar state-aligned campaigns to continue in the second half.
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Why are AI-related crypto exploits expected to rise?
Blockaid predicts a rise in AI-related exploits as on-chain agents, autonomous trading bots, and LLM-driven wallet workflows expand the attack surface beyond smart-contract bugs into prompt injection, model exfiltration, and compromised signing pipelines.
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How does H1 2026 compare to the full-year 2025 in crypto hack losses?
H1 2026 is the most-hacked half-year on record, but full-year 2025 losses were higher overall, inflated by the $1.5 billion Bybit hack. The pace of incidents in the first six months of 2026 is unprecedented.
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What should crypto security teams focus on after the H1 2026 report?
Blockaid's report points to two priorities: defending against state-aligned, DPRK-style theft campaigns, and modeling the shift toward AI-driven exploits targeting on-chain agents, wallets, and automated signing workflows.
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