Security advisor Immunefi released its first-half 2026 crypto security report on July 10, showing that in the first six months of 2026, crypto projects experienced a record 207 hacker attacks, with total losses of approximately $972 million. Although the number of attacks hit a new high, losses remained below the $1 billion mark, indicating a trend of increasing volume but decreasing severity in the crypto security ecosystem.
2026 H1 Key Data: 207 Attacks, Record High, $972 Million Losses
According to Immunefi's July 10, 2026 report, the main figures for the first half of 2026 are as follows: 207 recorded hacker attacks on crypto projects—the highest on record; total losses around $972 million, below the $1 billion threshold; DeFi losses approximately $680.3 million, down 74% from the peak; median single-incident loss decreased by 75%, showing that the average loss per attack has shrunk.
Immunefi attributes the decline in losses to four major security improvements: ongoing security coverage, bug bounty programs, audit competitions, and an increasing number of researchers proactively discovering vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
Shift in Risk Sources: From Smart Contract Vulnerabilities to Four Infrastructure Threats
Based on the Immunefi report, the sources of crypto security risks are shifting from solely smart contract vulnerabilities to four emerging threat categories:
Infrastructure Failures: Node service outages, on-chain data delays
Private Key Leaks: Wallet management errors leading to private key exposure
Cross-Chain Configuration Errors: Improper bridge routing and cross-chain communication setups
Weak Privileged Access: Lax governance account permissions management
This risk transfer aligns with recent real-world events: on July 10, the Ethereum Foundation's AI red team testing discovered CVE-2026-34219 at the libp2p gossipsub layer; on July 9, macOS spyware Trojan Odyssey surged, affecting over 100 countries and stealing more than 16 types of crypto wallet files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 207 crypto attacks in the first half of 2026 a record?
According to Immunefi, the 207 hacker attacks in the first six months of 2026 are indeed the highest on record; however, total losses of $972 million remain below the $1 billion mark. DeFi losses have decreased by 74% from the peak, and overall, the trend shows "attack volume reaching new highs while losses shrink."
How can DeFi losses decline despite a record number of attacks?
Immunefi's analysis indicates that the decrease in DeFi losses (median single-incident loss down 75%) is mainly due to improvements in the security ecosystem: sustained security coverage, widespread bug bounty programs, audit competitions, and more researchers proactively discovering vulnerabilities before exploitation. The phenomenon of increasing attack counts but decreasing losses reflects a denser detection network, similar to chip manufacturing where defect rates drop but detection increases.
Among the four emerging security threats highlighted by Immunefi, which should ordinary users pay the most attention to?
The report identifies infrastructure failures, private key leaks, cross-chain configuration errors, and weak privileged access as the four emerging threats. For general users, private key leaks (wallet management errors) pose the most immediate personal risk. The report also reminds that "passing audits does not guarantee complete safety." Users should follow official security guidelines provided by platforms and wallet providers for specific safety measures.
