Asia-Pacific Faces Record Bitcoin Thefts and Deadly “Wrench Attacks”—Chainalysis

Violent attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders are on track to hit record highs in 2025, with Asia-Pacific among the hardest-hit regions, according to a new report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

These incidents, commonly known as “wrench attacks,” involve criminals using physical violence or threats to coerce victims into surrendering their digital assets.

As of July, 35 wrench attacks have already been recorded globally, surpassing nearly all previous years and placing 2025 on course to double the record set during the 2021 bull run.

Source: Jameson Lopp GitHub

Chainalysis says the spike is closely tied to Bitcoin’s rising price, which hit an all-time high of over $122,000 in early July. “These are not just digital crimes anymore,” a Chainalysis spokesperson said.

“We’re seeing more kidnappings, extortion cases, and home invasions tied to crypto ownership—particularly in regions with fast-growing retail adoption.”

The shift from online exploits to real-world violence comes amid a broader wave of crypto-related theft. Chainalysis estimates that over $2.17 billion has been stolen from cryptocurrency services so far in 2025, already surpassing the total for all of 2024.

Now, attacks on personal wallets account for nearly a quarter of all stolen funds this year. Chainalysis reports that these crimes are increasingly targeting users, often with devastating consequences.

Bitcoin holders, in particular, are experiencing higher average losses, as criminals appear to prioritize large-value wallets. Chainalysis data also shows that the Asia-Pacific region ranks second globally in total Bitcoin stolen and third in Ether theft.

Within APAC, countries like Japan, Indonesia, and South Korea have reported a rise in thefts, while nations such as the Philippines are grappling with more extreme outcomes.

Source: Chainalysis

Chainalysis warns that while wrench attacks are still relatively rare, they have an outsized impact. The physical nature of these crimes, including cases of maiming, kidnapping, and homicide, raises new concerns for crypto users and law enforcement alike.

New data reveals a growing trend in crypto-related crimes targeting retail wallet holders, with wallet thefts now causing major financial damage across both developed and emerging markets.

While the United States, Germany, and Japan report the highest number of victims, countries like India, Chile, the United Arab Emirates, and Norway are seeing higher average losses per victim.

According to Chainalysis, North America currently leads the world in total crypto stolen, followed by Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

The shift toward targeting users, rather than exchanges or protocols, reflects broader changes in the crypto threat environment. One reason for this shift is improved cybersecurity at centralized exchanges, which has made large platforms more difficult for attackers to penetrate.

At the same time, the rising number of high-value self-custodied wallets and the relative ease of identifying crypto holders online have made users increasingly attractive targets.

Chainalysis also noted a rise in attacker sophistication, pointing to the use of AI-driven tools to locate, deceive, or coerce victims.

“The rise of wrench attacks is a stark reminder that digital assets are only as safe as the people who hold them,” the firm said.

Recent findings from blockchain security firm CertiK support the trend. In its midyear report for 2025, CertiK said crypto investors lost more than $2.2 billion to hacks, scams, and security breaches in just the first six months of the year.

Crypto investors have lost $2.2B to hacks and scams in H1 2025, with $187M recovered as threats shift, reports @CertiK.#CryptoSecurity #Cryptohacks https://t.co/5KCaVsYnbg

Wallet breaches alone accounted for $1.7 billion across only 34 incidents, making it the most costly threat category so far.

Phishing attacks followed, with more than $410 million stolen across 132 cases. While the total number of security incidents was 344, two major attacks, on Bybit and Cetus Protocol, accounted for $1.78 billion of the total losses. Excluding those, the remaining $690 million in damages brings 2025’s figures closer to previous years.

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