The figures highlight a 21.07% year-over-year increase compared to the $1.8 billion stolen in 2023. Reported incidents also grew, rising from 282 in 2023 to 303 in 2024.

Intense hacking activity characterized the first half of 2024, with $1.58 billion stolen by July—an 84.4% jump from the same period in 2023. In contrast, the latter half of the year saw a notable slowdown. Analysts suggest this trend may be influenced by shifting geopolitical factors and changes in the operations of major hacking groups.

Evolving Targets: Centralized Services in the Crosshairs

While decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms remained prominent targets in early 2024, centralized platforms bore the brunt of attacks during the year’s second and third quarters. The major incidents include a $305 million breach of DMM Bitcoin in May and the hacking of WazirX, which lost $234.9 million in July. According to Chainalysis, private key compromises accounted for 43.8% of stolen funds this year, which are susceptible to theft if good security practices are not applied against them.

Source: Chainalysis

“The shift from DeFi to centralized platforms underscores the importance of strengthening private key protections and implementing real-time threat detection systems,” Chainalysis noted in its annual report.

North Korea’s Role in Crypto Hacks

With an estimated $1.34 billion taken in 47 instances in 2024, North Korean-affiliated hackers continued to dominate the crypto-hacking scene. The value taken by these entities has increased by an astounding 102.88% since 2023. It is thought that these payments, which go beyond international restrictions, help Pyongyang’s nuclear programs.

Curiously, though, North Korea did slow its cyber activity in the latter half of the year. For that, analysts credit its tightening geopolitical alliance with Russia, entailing a mutual defense pact and the unfreezing of frozen North Korean assets. “It is possible North Korea shifted cyber resources to focus on other priorities, such as the conflict in Ukraine,” the Chainalysis report observed.

Source: Chainalysis

Once stolen, funds are typically laundered through highly intricate schemes. In 2024, private key hackers frequently relied on blockchain bridges and mixing services, while others favored decentralized exchanges (DEXs). As these methods continue to evolve, tracing and recovering stolen assets has become increasingly challenging for law enforcement and blockchain analytics firms.

Collaborative Efforts to Strengthen Security

Resurging cases of crypto theft have urged the need for better security mechanisms within the virtual cryptocurrency sector. There have been calls from different industry players over the period for a collective approach in the form of a data-sharing exercise, advanced tracing tools, and training programs.

The newly inked Chainalysis’ acquisition of the Web3 security firm Hexagate reflects a growing emphasis by the sector on proactive threat detection and prevention. Reports state that Hexagate’s real-time mitigation techniques have safeguarded over $1 billion in client assets.

There is a growing consensus that something needs to be done about security, the enduring weak point of the digital currency ecosystem, as 2025 approaches. The rising menace of crypto hacks requires further improvement in key management and international cooperation with the latest technology.