Crypto Hack Losses Dropped in H1, but CertiK Warns Risks Remain

Crypto hack losses declined 47% in the first half of the year, but blockchain security firm CertiK warned that the ecosystem should not be viewed as safer on that basis alone. According to the source, crypto exploits rose 59% quarter-on-quarter to $807.5 million in Q2.

The rise matters because it shows that headline improvements can mask concentrated bursts of risk across the crypto sector. For users, protocols and investors, the data points to an environment where exploit activity can remain severe even when half-year totals appear to be moving lower.

Cointelegraph reported that the Q2 increase was due partly to exploits involving KelpDAO and Drift Protocol. The source attributed those incidents to North Korean hackers, underscoring the continued role of organized threat actors in crypto-related attacks.

CertiK’s warning is that fewer losses over one period do not necessarily mean weaker attackers, stronger defenses or reduced exposure across the ecosystem. The figures instead suggest that crypto security remains uneven, with major incidents still capable of driving large quarter-to-quarter swings.

For companies and protocols, the takeaway is operational rather than speculative: security performance needs to be judged beyond aggregate loss totals. A lower first-half figure may be welcome, but Q2’s $807.5 million in reported exploit losses shows why security assumptions remain fragile.