TL;DR
Blockchain-monitoring firms say cybercriminals stole about $2.7 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, marking a new annual record. The single largest incident was a roughly $1.4 billion theft from Bybit, which law enforcement and analysts attributed to North Korean state-linked hackers.
What happened
Multiple blockchain investigators reported that roughly $2.7 billion in crypto was taken by hackers during 2025, outpacing totals from the prior two years. The largest single loss came from a breach of Dubai-based exchange Bybit, where attackers are accused by blockchain firms and the FBI of being linked to North Korea; that incident accounted for about $1.4 billion of the annual total. Other significant incidents included a $223 million exploit of decentralized exchange Cetus, a $128 million hit to Balancer, and more than $73 million stolen from exchange Phemex. Chainalysis and TRM Labs provided the $2.7 billion estimate, and Chainalysis separately identified roughly $700,000 taken from individual wallets. Security tracker REKT, run by De.Fi, reached a similar aggregate figure. Analysts and forensic firms also say North Korean-affiliated groups were the most prolific actors in 2025, continuing a multi-year pattern.
Why it matters
- The $2.7 billion annual total represents a new high, signaling growing losses in crypto infrastructure and services.
- A single, extremely large breach (Bybit) contributed a substantial share of the year’s losses, highlighting concentration risk for major platforms.
- Attribution to state-linked actors raises national security and sanctions-enforcement concerns tied to cryptocurrency crime.
- Persistent high theft totals across consecutive years suggest ongoing vulnerabilities in exchanges and DeFi protocols.
Key facts
- Estimated total stolen in 2025: $2.7 billion, per Chainalysis and TRM Labs.
- Largest single theft: about $1.4 billion from Dubai-based exchange Bybit; analysts and the FBI attributed that breach to North Korean government hackers.
- Chainalysis also tracked roughly $700,000 stolen from individual crypto wallets during 2025.
- De.Fi’s REKT database independently estimated about $2.7 billion in crypto thefts for the year.
- Other major 2025 incidents: Cetus (~$223 million), Balancer (~$128 million), and Phemex (over $73 million).
- Analysts at Chainalysis and Elliptic reported North Korean-linked groups stole at least $2 billion in 2025 and estimate about $6 billion taken since 2017.
- Crypto theft totals have risen each year recently: about $2 billion in 2023, $2.2 billion in 2024, and $2.7 billion in 2025.
What to watch next
- Ongoing investigations and potential criminal charges related to the Bybit breach — not confirmed in the source.
- Asset recovery efforts and any returns of stolen funds via blockchain tracing — not confirmed in the source.
- Regulatory or exchange-level security changes aimed at preventing similar large-scale breaches — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- DeFi: Decentralized finance: a sector of blockchain applications that offers financial services such as trading, lending and exchanges without centralized intermediaries.
- Blockchain analysis firm: A company that uses on-chain data and investigative techniques to trace cryptocurrency flows and identify suspicious activity.
- Exchange: A platform where cryptocurrencies are bought, sold, or traded; can be centralized (company-run) or decentralized (smart-contract driven).
- REKT database: A public tracker maintained by security firm De.Fi that records reported losses from hacks, exploits and scams in the crypto ecosystem.
Reader FAQ
How much crypto was stolen in 2025?
About $2.7 billion, according to Chainalysis and TRM Labs.
What was the largest hack of 2025?
The Bybit breach, roughly $1.4 billion, which analysts and the FBI attributed to North Korean-linked hackers.
Were the stolen assets recovered?
not confirmed in the source
Is this part of a longer trend?
Yes. Reported annual crypto thefts rose from about $2 billion in 2023 to $2.2 billion in 2024 and to $2.7 billion in 2025.
Cybercriminals stole $2.7 billion in crypto this year, a new record for crypto-stealing hacks, according to blockchain-monitoring firms. Once again, in 2025, there were dozens of crypto heists hitting several…
Sources
- Hackers stole over $2.7B in crypto in 2025, data shows
- Worldcoin ignored initial order to stop iris scans in Kenya …
- A-Z of Crypto Scams: F is for Fake Ledger Hardware Devices
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