The cryptocurrency industry faces an escalating and increasingly sophisticated theft problem, according to data released in early 2026. In 2025, adversaries stole an estimated $2.87 billion in cryptocurrency through nearly 150 hackings and exploits. While the volume of hackings was similar to recent years, the financial toll has escalated substantially because the adversaries have begun to focus on the gears that turn the wheels of crypto: keys, wallets, and control planes.
One of the notable events was the massive Bybit hack in February 2025, which alone accounted for 51% of the total amount of cryptocurrency stolen in 2025, or $1.46 billion. The fact that the top 10 hackings accounted for 81% of the total cryptocurrency stolen in 2025 is an indication of the maturity of the adversaries.
North Korean hackers stole $2.02 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, a 51% increase from the previous year, bringing their total to $6.75 billion as the number of attacks declined. The country is succeeding in pulling off more with fewer attacks, using its IT personnel to infiltrate cryptocurrency services or using its slick impersonation techniques to target the top executive of an organization. The findings have serious and timely implications for compliance.
In 2026, regulators are set to tighten the rules, which will force cryptocurrency to adhere to the same level of oversight as traditional banking and finance players. Tax authorities around the world are closing the gap on cryptocurrency tax evasion by forcing exchanges to collect and report detailed records of local users in the UK and more than 40 countries. Security and compliance are merging, and for fintech, this is no longer an option.
