Three months before the year’s end, it’s clear that 2025 is shaping up to be one of crypto’s most dangerous years yet, with criminals and hackers stealing a record-breaking amount of money. So far, their illicit activities have caused more damage than in the entire 2023 or 2024, but even more worrying is that the losses rise while the number of scams drops. The trend behind this paradox shows that crypto scams are becoming fewer but more sophisticated and larger in scale. According to data presented by CryptoPresales.com, the number of crypto scams and thefts halved in 2025, but total losses hit $2.34 billion, 35% higher than in 2024.
$600 Million More Stolen in Half the Number of Scams
Despite tightened rules and improved blockchain tracking tools, crypto crime is climbing again after a sharp drop in 2023 and a flat 2024. In just nine months, crypto criminals have stolen $2.34 billion, 35% more than in 2023 and 2024, making 2025 the third-worst year for this type of crime ever. The only times they managed to drain more money from the crypto ecosystem were in 2021 and 2022, with $2.73 billion and $3.54 billion, respectively.
What’s even more worrying is that this huge amount was stolen in only half as many scams, showing that fewer but bigger, more professional hits, often targeting DeFi protocols, centralized platforms, or big investor pools, can now cause more damage than dozens of smaller ones. Comparitech data, which tracks crypto-related crime, proves this trend.
In 2023, crypto scammers and hackers stole $1.74 billion in 283 crypto heists, the highest number to date. While the total amount of stolen money remained the same, the number of heists dropped by 33% to 187 in 2024. But the figures skyrocketed this year showing that even as the number of attacks falls, crypto criminals are stealing more money than ever.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been 83 reported cases, 2.2 times less than in the entire 2024, and the lowest figure since 2020. However, the total amount of stolen money jumped to $2.34 billion. Nearly 60% of that value was stolen in just one scam. In February, Dubai-based centralized exchange Bybit was hit by an attack that stole record-breaking $1.46 billion from its ETH cold wallets. The attack, rumored to have been carried out by North Korea’s Lazarus Group, is the largest crypto crime on record.
Over $15.1 Billion Stolen in 1,100 Reported Heists Year-to-Date
With $2.34 billion stolen year-to-date, the cumulative crypto theft climbed to shocking highs. Statistics show crypto criminals have stolen an eye-watering $15.1 billion year to date in 1,102 reported heists. Nearly 80% of all losses, or around $12.1 billion, happened in the last five years. If hackers had kept all the stolen cryptos and cashed them out today, they would have a fortune worth $53.1 billion.
