Blockchain security firm CertiK reported that total losses from hacking, exploitation and fraud of digital assets increased to $2.47 billion in the first half of 2025.
However, the second quarter saw a significant drop in the number of incidents, with over $800 million lost from 144 incidents, a 52% decrease compared to the previous quarter. CertiK also reported that 59 hacking incidents were successfully prevented during the period.
Overall, losses during the first half of 2025 showed an increase of almost 3% compared to the same period last year, recording $2.4 billion in losses.
However, the surge in losses does not reflect a deterioration in the security of the industry as a whole. Most of them were due to two incidents involving crypto exchanges Bybit and Cetus Protocol.
The largest attack occurred on February 21st when attackers exploited a vulnerability in Bybit’s ‘cold wallet’ infrastructure, resulting in the loss of approximately $1.5 billion in Ethereum.
Meanwhile, Cetus Protocol, the leading decentralized exchange in the Sui ecosystem, fell victim to a hack on May 22nd with an estimated loss of $225 million.
The Ethereum blockchain was one of the more popular targets, accounting for 70 hacks, scams and exploits compared to 98 in the first quarter.
