In Q1 2026, DeFi hackers’ losses fell to $169 million, involving 34 DeFi protocols

Gate News update: According to DefiLlama data, in the first quarter of 2026, crypto hackers stole about $169 million in assets from 34 DeFi protocols in total, a sharp decline compared with the same period in 2025. Despite the overall loss decreasing, multiple major attacks still exposed security risks in the industry. Among them, in January the Step Finance private key leak incident resulted in losses of about $40 million, the largest attack of the quarter; next was the Truebit smart contract manipulation incident, which led to $26.4 million worth of Ethereum being stolen; in March, the Resolv Labs private key leak incident ranked third.

By comparison, the first quarter of 2025 saw losses as high as $1.58 billion due to major incidents, making the current data look relatively mild. However, security experts emphasize that crypto security risks have not weakened. Kraken Chief Security Officer Nick Percoco said that hacker activity depends more on market cycles and liquidity distribution than on specific time nodes. During bull markets, product launches, or periods when capital rapidly concentrates, attackers are more likely to lock onto targets and carry out attacks.

The current threat structure is also continuing to evolve. The industry faces a multi-layer threat landscape shifting from highly organized hacker groups to opportunistic attackers. Attack methods include private key theft, exploitation of smart contract vulnerabilities, and social engineering attacks. Some hacker groups reportedly linked to North Korea remain an important source of risk, and their attacks often target high-value, high-complexity infrastructure.

In addition, while the transparency of crypto assets improves efficiency, it also makes it easier for attackers to identify potential vulnerabilities. Security research shows that complex systems, weak permission management, and protocols with rapid iteration are more likely to become targets. Industry insiders expect that as AI technology develops, credential theft and automated attack methods may further increase in 2026.

Although the current data shows losses declining, security challenges remain severe. The DeFi ecosystem must continuously strengthen audits, key management, and risk controls to reduce systemic risk while the market expands.