Crypto Losses Hit $2.7B in 2026 as Suspected North Korean Hacks Escalate

Crypto firms and users lost nearly $2.7B to security incidents through September 2026. Just 5 major exploits, led by Bitget and Liquid Network, generated $1.57B or 59% of total gross losses for the year. Suspected North Korean actors orchestrated over 51 incidents this year to extract more than $1B, though final attribution remains unconfirmed. The industry managed to freeze or return $420.4M, bringing adjusted losses down to roughly $2.26B. Physical wrench attacks jumped sharply, exposing $124.2M in the first 6 months of the year as criminals escalated offline targeting.