Defillama logged about 70 hacks during Q2 2026, roughly double the prior record for incident count. Despite the volume, the $746 million stolen trails past peaks, signaling a shift to smaller, more frequent attacks. April 2026 alone saw 30 incidents and over $625 million lost, led by the Drift Protocol exploit and KelpDAO breach. Rather than a few large-scale exploits, the quarter experienced a constant stream of smaller attacks, marking a departure from the mega-heists that defined earlier years when a handful of nine-figure bridge and protocol exploits drove annual totals.
April 2026 Dominated Quarter Losses
April 2026 was confirmed as crypto's most-hacked month on record, with about 30 incidents and more than $625 million stolen. Two breaches dominated the month: Drift Protocol's $285 million losses on April 1, and KelpDAO's $293 million hack on April 18. Together, these two incidents accounted for about 93% of April's outflows. The remaining two dozen-plus incidents mostly came in under $5 million, with many below $1 million.
Defillama analysts noted: "Rather than a few giga exploits, it's been a constant stream of smaller attacks." That pattern marks a departure from earlier years when single, headline-grabbing scores defined the landscape. Attackers spread their efforts across many lower-value targets rather than chasing nine-figure exploits.
May 2026 Maintained Elevated Attack Pace
The monthly pace stayed elevated through May as roughly 14 decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols were hit during the month. About eight of these incidents were bridge-related, with collective losses near $28 million. By the end of May, cumulative DeFi losses for 2026 had topped $840 million across more than 50 incidents in five months, versus about 30 over the same span in 2025—a roughly 70% year-over-year jump in frequency.
Cross-Chain Bridges and Key Theft Emerged as Recurring Weak Spots
The repeated break-ins pointed to two recurring weak spots. Cross-chain bridges, which lock assets on one network and mint equivalents on another, remained a favored target because a single flaw can expose pooled funds. Security analysts flagged a broader pivot from code exploits to key theft, as attackers increasingly used social engineering and phishing to capture private keys rather than hunt for smart-contract bugs.
That evolution has been visible over a longer horizon. The first quarter of 2026 had already set a baseline with about $169 million stolen across 34 protocols. Auditors noted the sector is running close to one attack per day.
Crypto Hacks Topped $17 Billion Over Past Decade
Crypto hacks have topped $17 billion over the past decade, with the attack surface steadily moving from protocol code toward the humans and operational systems around it. The data offers one observation: smaller average losses suggest better segmentation of funds, even as the sheer number of successful attacks hits a record.
FAQ
How many crypto hacks occurred in Q2 2026?
Defillama logged about 70 hacks during Q2 2026, roughly double the prior record for incident count in a single quarter.
What were the largest exploits in April 2026?
Drift Protocol lost $285 million on April 1, and KelpDAO suffered a $293 million hack on April 18. Together, these two incidents accounted for about 93% of April 2026's total losses of over $625 million.
How much has been stolen from crypto hacks over the past decade?
Crypto hacks have topped $17 billion over the past decade, with the attack surface steadily moving from protocol code toward humans and operational systems.
