Wallet Compromises Dominate Crypto Losses in 2025, Surpassing $2.1 Billion

Cryptocurrency hackers have pivoted from exploiting smart contract vulnerabilities to targeting individuals through sophisticated social engineering tactics. Web3 security firm CertiK reports that wallet breaches accounted for the lion's share of the $2.1 billion stolen in 2025, with just 23 incidents yielding $1.6 billion in losses.

Phishing attacks remained the most frequent threat, with 114 incidents draining $401.5 million from victims. Code vulnerabilities followed closely, causing $281.6 million in damages across 100 cases—a reminder that poorly secured smart contracts continue to plague the industry.

Access control failures and exit scams proved less financially devastating but equally concerning, while price manipulation schemes rounded out the threat landscape with modest losses. The data reveals a stark dichotomy between attack frequency and financial impact, with wallet compromises delivering outsized damage through precision strikes rather than volume.