For another year, hackers stole billions of dollars in cryptocurrencies. But for the first time since 2020, the trend is downward, according to cryptocurrency security companies.
This year, hackers stole about $2 billion in cryptocurrencies through dozens of cyberattacks and thefts, according to De.FI, a web3 security firm that runs the internet. Recite the leaderboard. The site ranks the worst cryptocurrency hacks ever, ranging from the Ronin network hack in 2022, where hackers stole more than $600 million in cryptocurrencies in what was considered the largest incident in history, to the hack against the Mixin network this year, which succeeded in reaching… the network. Hackers about $200 million.
“This amount, although dispersed across various incidents, underscores the ongoing vulnerabilities and challenges within the DeFi ecosystem,” De.Fi wrote in its report, which the company shared with TechCrunch. “2023 was a testament to the ongoing vulnerabilities and the steps taken to address them, although interest in the space was relatively subdued due to the ongoing bear market in the first half of the year.”
Earlier in December, blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs did as well He released an estimate of the amount of cryptocurrency stolen By hackers this year. According to the company, the total as of mid-December was about $1.7 billion.
Other worst cryptocurrency thefts of the year include the hack against Euler Finance, where hackers stole nearly $200 million; In addition to major hacks against Multichain ($126 million), BonqDAO ($120 million), Poloniex ($114 million), and Atomic Wallet ($100 million), among hundreds of others.
Last year, a blockchain monitoring company Chaina Analysis reported that cybercriminals stole a record amount of about $3.8 billion In encryption. Of these funds, $1.7 billion was stolen by North Korean government hackers known as the Lazarus Group, one of the most prolific groups of cryptocurrency thieves, as part of an attempt to fund the regime’s sanctioned nuclear weapons program.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that cryptocurrency penetration represents a significant portion of the country’s economy,” Chainalysis said in its report last year.
The previous year, hackers stole $3.3 billion in 2021, According to Chainalysis,
It is impossible to predict what will happen in 2024. But given the weak security implemented by many cryptocurrency and Web 3 projects and the huge amount of monetary value they hold… It was discussed earlier this year at TechCrunch DisruptWe can expect hackers to continue targeting the growing industry.