Blockchain data research firm Chainalysis says that North Korean hackers are on track to make 2025 the biggest year in crypto theft history.
In its 2025 Crypto Crime Mid-Year Update, Chainalysis says 2025’s losses have already surpassed the total losses from 2024.
-->“With over $2.17 billion stolen from cryptocurrency services so far in 2025, this year is more devastating than the entirety of 2024.
The DPRK’s (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [North Korea]) $1.5 billion hack of ByBit, the largest single hack in crypto history, accounts for the majority of service losses.”
Source: ChainalysisCurrently, hackers have stolen 17 more than they had by this time in 2022, the worst year on record. If the scams stay on pace, crypto could see over $4 billion stolen by year’s end.
While the ByBit breach set the record for the biggest heist ever, Chainalysis finds that more and more attacks are coming against individual user wallets.
“Personal wallet compromises now represent a growing share of total ecosystem theft, with attackers increasingly targeting individual users, making up 23.35 of all stolen fund activity year-to-date in 2025.”
Source: ChainalysisEven more telling — while previous crypto thefts have mostly occurred in the digital realm, more and more threats are turning to physical violence.
“‘Wrench attacks’ — physical violence or coercion against crypto holders — show correlation with bitcoin price movements, suggesting opportunistic targeting during high-value periods.”
Source: Chainalysis
