With criminals stealing a record-breaking amount of money, this year is shaping up to be crypto’s most dangerous yet – in just six months, their illicit activities have caused more financial damage than recorded during the entire years of 2023 or 2024.
According to data presented by CryptoPresales.com, crypto thieves have stolen $1,93-billion year-to-date – 10% more than in the entire 2024, and 55% of 2022’s total, still the record year for crypto crime.
Crypto crime is climbing again after a sharp drop in 2023 and a flat 2024. This trend is especially concerning considering tightened rules and enhanced blockchain tracking tools over the past two years. But despite these advancements, criminals continue to steal billions in cryptocurrencies.
Last year, crypto scammers and hackers stole $1,73-billion in 187 crypto heists, a modest decrease from $1,74-billion the year before. However, the figures skyrocketed in the first half of 2025, revealing an alarming trend – the number of attacks is falling, but crypto criminals are stealing more money than ever.
According to Comparitech data, which tracks crypto-related crime, there have been 53 reported cases over the past six months – three times less than in the entire 2024. However, the total amount of stolen money during this period has already outpaced 2024’s total.
Statistics show that crypto criminals stole a shocking $1,93-billion year-to-date, or 10% more than in the entire last year. Nearly 90% of that value was stolen in just one scam.
In February, Dubai-based centralised exchange Bybit was hit by an attack that stole a record-breaking $1,46-billion from its ETH cold wallets. The attack, rumoured to have been carried out by North Korea’s Lazarus Group, is the largest crypto crime on record.
Even more worrying is that if this trend continues, 2025 could easily become the worst year for crypto crime yet and break the infamous record set in 2022. That year alone, crypto criminals stole a shocking $3,45-billion.
With $1.93 billion already stolen this year, the cumulative crypto theft climbed to shocking highs. Statistics show crypto criminals have stolen an eye-watering $14,7-billion year to date in 1 072 reported heists.
Even more shockingly, nearly 80% of all losses – or around $11,6-billion – happened in the last five years, with 2021 and 2022 still holding the record. In 2021 alone, crypto criminals stole over $2,7-billion, which soared to nearly $3,5-billion a year later.
The Comparitech data also gave a shocking insight into the current value of all the stolen cryptos. If hackers had kept all the stolen cryptos and cashed them out today, they would have a fortune worth $52,7-billion