2025 is on track to become the worst year for cryptocurrency theft
-In 2025, cryptocurrency services lost over $2.17 billion, surpassing the total thefts of 2024 and setting a new record.
-The North Korean Lazarus Group caused a $1.5 billion breach, contributing to 69% of all stolen funds this year.
-The rise in personal wallet breaches and physical violence against cryptocurrency holders heightens security concerns in 2025.
The latest Chainalysis report revealed that cryptocurrency services lost over $2.17 billion in 2025, surpassing the total amount stolen in 2024. Moreover, 2025 is on track to become the worst recorded year.
The report highlighted that an increasing share of stolen funds comes from personal wallet breaches. Moreover, the use of physical violence against cryptocurrency holders has increased this year.
Crime in digital currencies reaches new heights in 2025
In the latest mid-2025 update on cryptocurrency crimes, Chainalysis emphasized that with nearly half the year remaining, 2025 has already proven to be worse than the entire year of 2024.
The report stated that "the activity of stolen funds stands out as the primary concern in 2025. While other forms of illegal activity exhibited mixed trends year-on-year, the increase in cryptocurrency thefts represents an immediate threat to participants in the ecosystem and a long-term challenge for the industry's security infrastructure."
The blockchain data platform revealed that 2022 remains the worst recorded year in terms of total value stolen from services. However, it took 214 days to accumulate $2 billion in stolen funds.
In stark contrast, 2025 reached similar levels in just 142 days. By the end of June 2025, the value stolen since the beginning of the year (YTD) was 17% higher than in 2023.
Stolen funds from cryptocurrencies in 2025. Source: Chainalysis
Chainalysis predicted that if current trends continue, stolen funds from cryptocurrency services alone could exceed $4.3 billion by the end of the year, posing a significant threat to security and trust within the cryptocurrency system.
However, the report noted that the most significant incident driving this increase is the $1.5 billion Bybit breach, attributed to the North Korean Lazarus Group. This single breach accounted for about 69% of all stolen funds from services in 2025.
Chainalysis noted that "this massive breach aligns with a broader pattern of North Korean cryptocurrency operations, which have increasingly become central to the regime's strategies for evading sanctions. Last year, known losses related to North Korea reached $1.3 billion (the worst recorded year so far), making 2025 already their most successful year yet."
Cryptocurrency theft trends highlight the increasing risks for individuals
Beyond widespread breaches, attackers have shifted their focus to individual users this year. Personal wallet breaches accounted for 23.35% of total stolen funds to date. Chainalysis observed three main trends in these breaches.
First, Bitcoin theft represents a significant share of the stolen value. Second, the average loss from hacked Bitcoin wallets has increased over time, indicating that attackers are targeting higher-value holdings. Third, there has been an increase in the number of victims on non-Bitcoin and non-EVM chains like Solana.
The report indicated that while Bitcoin holders are unlikely to be targeted compared to holders of other on-chain assets, when they do fall victim, the losses are more significant.
This trend is particularly concerning in areas with a high reliance on cryptocurrencies, such as North America. It leads in Bitcoin and altcoin thefts, while Europe dominates losses in Ethereum and stablecoins.
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region ranks second in total stolen Bitcoin and third in Ethereum. The Commonwealth of Independent States and Central Asia (CSAO) ranks second in the value of stolen altcoins and stablecoins.
The report noted that "so far in 2025, the United States, Germany, Russia, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, and South Korea lead the list of the highest number of victims per country, while Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and CSAO have seen the fastest growth from the first half of 2024 to the first half of 2025 in the total number of victims."
At the same time, Chainalysis also highlighted the worrying trend of "key attacks" against cryptocurrency holders. Key attacks involve the use of physical violence or threats to force victims to disclose private keys or transfer assets, bypassing digital security measures by directly targeting the individual.
BeInCrypto previously reported a rise in the kidnapping of cryptocurrency businessmen, which was closely linked to the rising price of Bitcoin. Interestingly, the report also revealed a connection between these incidents and Bitcoin price movements.
Chainalysis noted that "our analysis reveals a clear correlation between these violent incidents and a future moving average of Bitcoin price, suggesting that a future increase in asset values (and the perception of their upward movement) may lead to additional opportunistic physical attacks against known cryptocurrency holders."
Violence against cryptocurrency holders is on the rise. Source: Chainalysis
The report warned that, based on current trends, 2025 is expected to see a much larger number of physical attacks against cryptocurrency holders, possibly doubling the next highest year on record, with the potential for underreported crime disguising the true scale of the problem.
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