According to DefiLlama, the number of crypto hacking incidents in 2026 reached 277 by late September, with total losses amounting to nearly $1,84 billion. This figure significantly exceeds the 148 incidents recorded throughout 2025, which resulted in losses of approximately $2,715 billion.
The third quarter of 2026 proved to be the most severe, accounting for over $1,25 billion in losses across 116 separate incidents. Notable events included a $320 million loss at Liquid Network on September 6 and a $387 million exploit at the Bitget exchange on September 24.
While smart contract vulnerabilities persist, recent attacks increasingly stem from operational errors, social engineering, and complex interactions between protocol components. Earlier in the year, major exploits were also reported at Kelp DAO and Drift Protocol.
Since 2020, DefiLlama has tracked over 1 200 incidents with cumulative losses exceeding $21 billion. The data suggests that while the frequency of attacks is rising, the median size of individual losses is trending downward as the market fragments.
