Crypto Hacks Hit a Record $1.1 Billion in the Most-Hacked Half-Year Ever

212 exploits. $1.1 billion stolen. Security firm Blockaid says the first half of 2026 is now the most-hacked six months crypto has ever recorded.

Blockaid’s H1 2026 report counted 212 verified on-chain exploits draining $1.1 billion from protocols, wallets, and infrastructure — an industry averaging more than one confirmed breach every single day.

Just four incidents — KelpDAO ($292 million), Drift Protocol ($285 million), Resolv, and CowSwap — accounted for roughly $707 million of the total, about 64% of everything lost.

North Korea-linked hackers, particularly the Lazarus Group’s TraderTraitor subgroup, were tied to the KelpDAO, Drift Protocol, and Humanity Protocol exploits alone, totaling around $609 million, or 55% of all H1 losses.

Perhaps the most uncomfortable finding: 74% of stolen funds came from operational security failures — compromised keys, bridge weaknesses — not exploited smart contract code. The dollar total is actually down from H1 2025’s $2.3 billion, but that year included the single $1.5 billion Bybit hack; strip that out, and 2026’s losses are still a record by attack count.

Curious how these attacks actually work? Learn the basics at the Bitcoin Academy.

This coverage is intended for informational purposes and shouldn’t be treated as financial advice. Crypto investments carry significant risk — consult a professional before acting on market news.