Hackers have stolen $168 million in cryptocurrency, according to DefiLlama., 2026/04/03 14:46:12

Between January and March, hackers pilfered over $168.6 million in cryptocurrency from 34 decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, according to the service DefiLlama.

The largest quarterly theft involved the compromise of the private key for the Step Finance platform, resulting in a loss of assets totaling $40 million. The second-largest theft of crypto assets occurred with the Truebit protocol, where approximately $26.6 million in Ether was stolen. The third position in the list of significant thefts was occupied by a March attack on the crypto project Resolv Labs. 

In comparison, during the first quarter of the previous year, losses from hacker attacks on major crypto projects amounted to nearly ten times more, reaching $1.58 billion. However, the vast majority of the lost funds were attributed to a single project — the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit ($1.4 billion).

Nick Percoco, the chief security officer of the Kraken exchange, noted that hackers typically exhibit heightened activity during market cycles or significant industry events. Their actions are not tied to specific dates or seasons; rather, they are drawn to projects with a high concentration of liquidity, Percoco clarified.

According to the expert’s observations, a bullish trend in the crypto market, the launch of major products, and phases of rapid growth create favorable conditions for hacking attempts, as new infrastructure may harbor hidden risks. Percoco identified North Korean hackers as the most formidable and persistent threat to crypto investors and the crypto industry.

However, independent blockchain investigator ZachXBT believes that many overestimate the capabilities of hackers from North Korea, asserting that their attacks can be mitigated by adhering to basic security measures. The anonymous detective argues that in most instances, the loss of funds occurs due to the negligence of the trading platforms themselves.