The 2024 crypto bull run not only reignited investor enthusiasm but also triggered a sharp rise in crypto crime. Cybercriminals stole $1.73 billion worth of digital assets last year, making 2024 the fourth-worst year on record for cryptocurrency-related theft.
Now, 2025 is on pace to break that grim record. According to data from CryptoPresales.com, $1.66 billion has already been stolen in the first four months of the year—just 5% short of the 2024 total, with eight months still to go.
2025 on Track to Set New Record for Crypto Crime
Crypto crime remains a billion-dollar threat, even with stricter rules and better blockchain tracking tools. According to Comparitech data, in half of the past decade hackers have stolen over $1 billion annually, proving the ongoing struggle for law enforcement and regulators to control these crimes. The combination of high asset value and user anonymity makes cryptocurrencies a magnet for criminals, and that hasn’t changed in 2025. In fact, the latest data show this alarming trend has only worsened.
Last year, crypto scammers and hackers stole $1.73 billion of cryptos in 187 crypto heists, marking a modest decrease from $1.74 billion the year before. However, the figures skyrocketed in the four months of this year. While the first four months of 2024 saw 33 reported crypto crimes, the total amount of stolen money hit a worrying $1.66 billion, only 5% less than in the entire last year. To put this into perspective, crypto criminals managed to steal almost the same amount of money in a third of the time, indicating that 2025 is on track to set a new record for crypto crime.
Nearly 90% of that value was stolen in just one scam. In February, Dubai-based centralized exchange Bybit was hit by an attack that stole record-breaking $1.46 billion from its ETH cold wallets. The attack, rumored to have been carried out by North Korea’s Lazarus Group, is the largest crypto crime on record.
Nearly $14.5 Billion Stolen in Over 1,052 Heists to Date
With $1.63 billion stolen year-to-date, the cumulative crypto theft hit shocking highs. Statistics show crypto criminals have stolen an eye-watering $14.5 billion year to date in 1,052 reported heists.
Nearly 80% of all losses, or around $11.3 billion, occurred in the last five years, with 2020 and 2021 still holding the record. In 2020 alone, crypto criminals stole over $2.7 billion, which soared to over $3.5 billion a year later. The Comparitech data also gave a shocking insight into the current value of all the stolen cryptos. If hackers had kept all the stolen cryptos and cashed them out today, they would have a fortune worth $52.4 billion.
