Crypto Industry Loses Over $1 B to Hacks in First Half of 2026

The cryptocurrency sector recorded more than $1 billion in losses from hacking incidents during the first half of 2026, spanning 212 separate exploits. July alone saw 30 major attacks that cost $210.3 million, with the Coldcard Wallet breach accounting for $70 million, followed by incidents such as the AFX Trade ($24 million) and Ostium ($24 million) exploits. Ethereum and Solana platforms were the hardest hit, losing $332 million and $326 million respectively, as attackers targeted private‑key, smart‑contract and bridge vulnerabilities. The nature of the attacks is shifting toward sophisticated social‑engineering and operational‑security failures, and state‑linked actors, notably those associated with North Korea, have been identified as major perpetrators. In the same period, several crypto exchanges—including BitMart, BitMEX and AscendEX—announced orderly shutdowns, citing heightened regulatory pressure and market strain, further underscoring the sector’s security and stability challenges.