Crypto Hacks Drain $8.74B in 2026, More Than Triple 2025 Losses: How BTC and ETH Responded to Major Exploits

Crypto thefts have generated $8.74 billion in losses through October 31, 2026, compared with $2.51 billion during the same period last year. The massive increase largely reflects the October 29 Binance exploit, which alone contributed $6.36 billion.

Removing the Binance incident from the calculation produces a considerably different picture. Other attacks accounted for approximately $2.38 billion in losses this year, roughly 5% less than the comparable 2025 total. However, the number of targeted platforms and projects increased substantially, reaching 325 incidents versus 120 last year.

The figures highlight a growing problem for the crypto industry: attacks are becoming more frequent, even though most individual exploits generate smaller losses. Binance’s record-breaking breach ultimately distorted the annual comparison.

Total Value Lost to DeFi Exploits

Bitcoin’s reaction to major security breaches has varied depending on the broader market environment. An examination of the ten largest hacks since January 2025 shows that BTC’s daily performance ranged from a 4.1% decline to a 1.9% increase. Across nine incidents with a complete 30-day trading history, monthly returns ranged between -15.5% and +19.9%.

The market environment appears to have played a significant role. All three major hacks recorded in 2025 were followed by lower Bitcoin prices over the next month, as the market was already experiencing downward pressure. Most major exploits in 2026, however, occurred during periods of stronger market momentum.

This makes the Binance incident particularly important when assessing whether the latest security breach could trigger a prolonged Bitcoin correction or whether BTC will follow the recovery pattern seen after several other 2026 exploits.

Crypto Hacking Losses: How 2026 Compares With 2025

The Binance breach completely changed the annual loss comparison.

Before the October incident, 2026 had recorded approximately $2.24 billion in crypto thefts through September, slightly below the $2.48 billion reported during the same period in 2025. The situation changed when attackers drained $6.36 billion from Binance across ten blockchains on October 29. That single incident surpassed the combined losses from all hacks reported in 2025.

North Korean hackers have also emerged as a common link between the two largest exchange-related incidents. The FBI previously connected the $1.4 billion Bybit exploit on February 21, 2025, to North Korea’s TraderTraitor group. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has now attributed the Binance attack to the same group.

The largest reported exploits across both years include:

Major crypto hacks in 2026:

• Binance: $6.36 billion on October 29.
• Bitget: $387 million on September 24.
• Liquid Network: $320 million on September 6.
• Drift: $295 million on April 1.
• Kelp: $293 million on April 18.

Major crypto hacks in 2025:

• Bybit: $1.4 billion on February 21.
• Cetus: $223 million on May 22.
• Balancer: $128 million on November 3.
• Bitget: $100 million on April 20.
• Phemex: $85 million on January 23.

The number of attacks has also increased considerably. Security incidents reached 325 through October 2026, compared with 120 during the equivalent period last year. Five exploits this year resulted in losses exceeding $290 million, whereas only one attack crossed that threshold in 2025.

Compromised private keys and vulnerabilities in cross-chain bridges were among the leading causes of losses outside the Binance incident.

Nevertheless, gross theft estimates do not necessarily represent permanently lost assets. CertiK’s October assessment identified approximately $3.03 billion in funds that were frozen or recovered, with most associated with Binance-related assets intercepted through blockchain monitoring. After these adjustments, the month’s estimated net losses fell to approximately $3.47 billion.

Annual estimates also vary depending on the tracking platform. CertiK places gross crypto hacking losses at $9.2 billion in 2026 and $3.35 billion in 2025. DefiLlama reports lower figures of $8.74 billion and $2.72 billion, respectively.

DISCOVER: Binance Hacker Now Holds $1.4 Billion in Bitcoin, Nearly Three Times Weekly ETF Buying

Bitcoin and Ethereum Price Reactions Following Major Hacks

Historical price movements suggest that major crypto exploits do not automatically trigger prolonged market declines. While Bitcoin frequently experiences selling pressure on the day of an attack, its performance over subsequent weeks has largely depended on prevailing market conditions.

The comparison measures Bitcoin and Ether against their closing prices one day before each of the ten largest crypto exploits since 2025.

Bitcoin’s immediate response has generally been limited. BTC finished lower on seven of the ten attack dates, with an average decline of 2.2% across those negative sessions. The Binance incident produced the largest daily drop at 4.1%, while Bitcoin gained 1.9% on the day of the Cetus exploit.

Monthly performance has depended more on market direction. Each of the three largest 2025 incidents was followed by a Bitcoin decline of between 6.9% and 15.5% over the next 30 days. The 2026 results were more positive, with four of six incidents showing monthly gains. Bitcoin’s strongest increase reached 19.9% following the Coldcard incident.

The affected cryptocurrency can experience additional selling pressure. Ether lost 26.7% in the month following the Bybit exploit, where ETH represented most of the stolen assets. Following the Cetus attack, SUI declined 34.6%, highlighting the potential impact on tokens closely associated with compromised platforms.

The Bybit hack remains the most relevant historical comparison for Binance. Both incidents involved major cryptocurrency exchanges, losses exceeding $1 billion and suspected North Korean involvement.

Bitcoin declined 14.2% during the first week after the Bybit breach. Broader concerns about U.S. trade tariffs also contributed to market weakness at the time. After 30 days, BTC was still trading 12.4% below its pre-attack level.

The Binance-related market reaction has been relatively contained so far. Comparing prices from the October 28 close with Monday’s levels shows:

• BTC: Down 4.3%.
• ETH: Down 3.2%.
• BNB: Down 7.2%, following an 8.1% decline on the day of the exploit.
• SOL: Down 8.4%.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: Will BTC Repeat the Bybit Sell-Off?

Bitcoin’s latest price action does not yet provide a clear indication that the market is following the Bybit pattern or the more resilient trend observed after 2026’s other major exploits.

BTC was trading near $77,870 on Binance and remained relatively unchanged over the day. The cryptocurrency had also managed to stay above its October 30 post-hack low of $76,326 for three consecutive days.

An important technical level sits near $76,512, where Bitcoin’s 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) is positioned. Holding above this indicator could help limit further downside pressure, while a sustained move above nearby resistance would strengthen the recovery outlook.

The 50-day EMA at $80,293 represents another important hurdle for bullish traders. Bitcoin’s ability to reclaim this level could help determine whether the latest decline develops into a deeper correction.

Important BTC price levels:

• Resistance: $78,878, Monday’s high, followed by $80,293 at the 50-day EMA and $81,971, the October 29 high recorded before the Binance exploit.
• Support: $76,512 at the 200-day EMA, followed by $76,326, the post-hack low. Below these levels, the September 15 low of $74,968 becomes the next downside reference.

For now, Bitcoin’s position above the 200-day EMA offers some stability following the Binance incident. However, a breakdown below this support could increase the risk of a deeper correction, potentially bringing the Bybit aftermath back into focus. Conversely, a recovery toward $80,293 would suggest that BTC is behaving more like it did after several major security incidents earlier in 2026.