Crypto hacks drain $2.7 billion in 2026, North Korea-linked thefts top $1 billion

Overview

CertiK recorded $2.68 billion in gross crypto losses through September 2026, with North Korea‑linked attacks exceeding $1 billion. The figure represents 658 security incidents, an average loss of $4.1 million per event.

Key Incidents

The month of September alone drove losses to $766.5 million, making it the costliest month of the year. Two mega‑hacks dominated: Bitget’s $387.5 million breach and the Liquid Network incident at $318.7 million, together exceeding $700 million.

• Bitget – $387.5 million (14.4% of CertiK’s year‑to‑date losses)
• Liquid Network – $318.7 million
• KelpDAO – $291.3 million
• Drift Protocol – $285.3 million
• Unidentified victim – $284.8 million

These five incidents account for roughly $1.57 billion, or almost 59% of the $2.68 billion gross total.

North Korea Link

Elliptic assessed the Bitget breach as highly likely tied to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, pushing its attributed thefts above $1 billion for 2026. The firm also linked the Drift Protocol exploit to North Korean actors, meaning suspected DPRK operations are behind more than one of the year’s biggest crypto thefts.

Recovery and Impact

CertiK counts $420.4 million of assets as frozen or returned, reducing adjusted losses to $2.26 billion. While recovery capacity has improved, large breaches still force operators to suspend services, replenish customer balances and rebuild infrastructure before stolen funds are recovered.

Source: CryptoSlate