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Blockaid reports 212 crypto hacks costing $1.1 billion in H1 2026
Blockchain security firm Blockaid's H1 2026 report, released on July 28, found a record 212 on‑chain security incidents in the first half of the year, the highest count ever recorded. The attacks resulted in roughly $1.1 billion in stolen funds, slightly below the $1.5 billion loss recorded in 2025 (driven largely by the Bybit hack).
State‑linked actors from North Korea were responsible for about 55‑60 % of the total loss—roughly $600 million—most notably the $292 million KelpDAO exploit and the $285 million Drift Protocol breach, which together accounted for more than half of all stolen value.
Operational security failures, such as compromised credentials and signer‑infrastructure attacks, comprised the bulk of the financial impact, accounting for roughly 74‑76 % (about $789 million) of the total thefts. By chain, Ethereum suffered the greatest loss at $332 million and Solana close behind at $326 million, together representing about 60 % of all losses. Other affected blockchains included BNB Smart Chain ($185 million), Base ($137 million) and Arbitrum ($130 million).
The report notes a shift from pure smart‑contract bugs toward more sophisticated social‑engineering and operational attacks, and it warns that AI‑related exploit techniques could increase later in 2026.
Entities
Blockaid · Drift Protocol · Ethereum · Ido Ben‑Natan · KelpDAO · North Korea‑linked threat actors · Solana
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 8 SOURCES] Ethereum losses amounted to roughly $332 million. www.btc-echo.de · www.tekedia.com · www.nadanews.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · techstory.in · +3 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Crypto hacks in the first half of 2026 resulted in losses exceeding $1 billion. www.btc-echo.de · www.tekedia.com · www.nadanews.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · techstory.in · +2 more
- [DISPUTED] The largest single exploit was KelpDAO, resulting in a loss of about $292 million. www.btc-echo.de · www.nadanews.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · techstory.in · cryptobriefing.com · +4 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] BNB Smart Chain losses were about $185 million; Base losses about $137 million; Arbitrum losses about $130 million. www.btc-echo.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Operational attacks, such as compromised credentials and signer infrastructure, accounted for about 74% ($789 million) of total stolen funds. www.tekedia.com · techstory.in · www.finansingundemi.net · cryptobriefing.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] Suspected North Korea‑linked threat actors were responsible for roughly 55% of all exploit losses. www.tekedia.com · www.nadanews.com · techstory.in · www.finansingundemi.net · cryptobriefing.com · +3 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] 212 security incidents were recorded in the first half of 2026. www.btc-echo.de · www.tekedia.com · www.nadanews.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · techstory.in · +2 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Solana losses amounted to roughly $326 million. www.btc-echo.de · www.nadanews.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · techstory.in · cryptobriefing.com · +3 more
- [DISPUTED] The Drift Protocol breach resulted in losses of about $285 million. techstory.in · cryptobriefing.com · www.finansingundemi.net · www.tekedia.com · ambcrypto.com · +2 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] The total value stolen in these incidents was about $1.1 billion. www.nadanews.com · techstory.in · ambcrypto.com · www.btc-echo.de · cryptobriefing.com · +3 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] Operational security failures (credential and signer‑infrastructure compromise) accounted for roughly 74‑76% of total stolen funds, about $789 million. techstory.in · ambcrypto.com · www.btc-echo.de · cryptobriefing.com · www.tekedia.com · +2 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Blockaid identified 212 on‑chain security incidents in the first half of 2026, the highest count ever recorded. www.nadanews.com · techstory.in · ambcrypto.com · www.btc-echo.de · cryptobriefing.com · +3 more