Crypto hack losses reached $8.74 billion in 2026 by October 31, more than three times the $2.51 billion lost over the same ten months of 2025, after the October 29 Binance breach alone added $6.36 billion.
Take Binance out and the picture flips. The rest of 2026 comes to $2.38 billion, about 5% less than 2025 at the same point, even though attackers hit 325 targets against 120 a year earlier. More attacks, smaller hauls, and then one enormous one.
Total Value Hacked in DeFi
The market has its own pattern. Across the ten largest hacks since January 2025, Bitcoin’s move on the day of the attack ranged from -4.1% to +1.9%. A month later, for the nine with a full month of data, the range ran from -15.5% to +19.9%, and it followed whatever the broader market was doing.
The 2025 hacks landed in falling markets, and every one was followed by a lower Bitcoin price a month later. Most of 2026’s landed in rising ones.
So how bad has 2026 really been, and what does history say about the weeks after Binance?
Crypto Hack Losses in 2026 vs 2025: What Changed?
The size of the biggest theft. Through September, 2026 was running behind 2025: $2.24 billion lost against $2.48 billion. Then Binance lost $6.36 billion across ten blockchains in one night, more than all of 2025’s hacks put together.
The two years share a culprit. The FBI tied 2025’s largest crypto hack, the $1.4 billion Bybit theft on February 21, to North Korea’s TraderTraitor group, and Chainalysis now ties Binance to the same unit.
The biggest hacks of each year:
- 2026: Binance $6.36 billion (Oct 29), Bitget $387 million (Sep 24), Liquid Network $320 million (Sep 6), Drift $295 million (Apr 1), Kelp $293 million (Apr 18)
- 2025: Bybit $1.4 billion (Feb 21), Cetus $223 million (May 22), Balancer $128 million (Nov 3), Bitget $100 million (Apr 20), Phemex $85 million (Jan 23)
The rest of 2026 looks different from 2025 too. There were 325 incidents through October, almost three times 2025’s 120, and five 2026 hacks topped $290 million, against one in 2025. Stolen keys and cross-chain bridges did most of the damage outside Binance.
The gross number also overstates what stays lost. CertiK’s October tally counts $3.03 billion frozen or returned, mostly Binance funds caught on-chain, which cuts the month’s adjusted losses to about $3.47 billion. Trackers also disagree on the year: CertiK puts 2026 at $9.2 billion gross and 2025 at $3.35 billion, while DefiLlama has $8.74 billion and $2.72 billion.
DISCOVER: Binance Hacker Sits on $1.4 Billion in Bitcoin, Triple a Week of ETF Buying
How Did Bitcoin and Ethereum React After Each Crypto Hack?
A small dip on the day, then the market’s own trend. The heatmap compares Bitcoin and Ether with their close the day before each of the ten biggest hacks since 2025.
Three patterns stand out:
- The first day is mild. Bitcoin fell on seven of the ten hack days, by 2.2% on average when it fell. Binance’s -4.1% was the worst, and Cetus came on a +1.9% day.
- The month follows the market. All three big 2025 hacks were followed by Bitcoin losses of 6.9% to 15.5% a month later. Four of the six 2026 hacks with a month of data were followed by gains, up to 19.9% after Coldcard.
- The coin closest to the theft takes the hit. Ether fell 26.7% in the month after Bybit, where the stolen funds were mostly ETH, and SUI fell 34.6% after Cetus, the biggest decentralized exchange on Sui.
Bybit is the closest match to Binance: a North Korean exchange theft over $1 billion. Bitcoin lost 14.2% within a week of it, with US tariff fears weighing on markets that week too, and it was still 12.4% lower a month on.
Binance is following a gentler path so far. From the October 28 close to Monday:
- Bitcoin: -4.3%
- Ethereum: -3.2%
- BNB: -7.2%, the hardest-hit major, after an 8.1% drop on the day of the hack
- Solana: -8.4%
BTC Price Analysis: Is Bitcoin on the Bybit Path or the 2026 One?
Neither yet. Bitcoin trades at $77,870 on Binance, flat on the day, and has held above its October 30 low of $76,326 for three days, right on the 200-day EMA (exponential moving average) at $76,512.
After Bybit, Bitcoin lost its floor within a week. After most of 2026’s hacks, it was higher a month later. The line between the two is clear on the chart: the 200-day EMA below, and the 50-day EMA at $80,293 above.
Key levels:
- Resistance: $78,878, Monday’s high, then $80,293 (50-day EMA) and $81,971, the October 29 high before the hack
- Support: $76,512 (200-day EMA) and $76,326, the post-hack low, then $74,968, the September 15 low
BTCUSDT 1D chart. Source: TradingView
| Outlook | Trigger | Level to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound | A daily close above $80,293 | $81,971, the pre-hack high |
| Holding pattern | Holding between $76,326 and $80,293 | A range between the two EMAs |
| Sell-off | A daily close below $76,326 | $74,968, the September 15 low |
The crypto hack record says the first day rarely decides much. What Bitcoin does at the 200-day EMA over the next few weeks will show which path this one takes.
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Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
Daniel Frances is a technical writer and Web3 educator specializing in macroeconomics and DeFi mechanics. A crypto native since 2017, Daniel leverages his background in on-chain analytics to author evidence-based reports and deep-dive guides. He holds certifications from The Blockchain Council, and is dedicated to providing “information gain” that cuts through market hype to find real-world blockchain utility.