Updated October 30, 2026 after the record Binance hack.
The biggest crypto hacks in history have drained tens of billions of dollars from exchanges, bridges and DeFi apps, and on October 29, 2026 the record was smashed when Binance lost about $6.3 billion in one evening. Below is the full ranked list of the biggest crypto hacks, how each one happened, who was behind it and what you can learn to keep your own coins safe.
Biggest crypto hacks in history: quick list
| # | Hack | Date | Amount stolen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Binance | Oct 2026 | ~$6.3 billion |
| 2 | Bybit | Feb 2025 | ~$1.5 billion |
| 3 | Ronin Network (Axie Infinity) | Mar 2022 | ~$625 million |
| 4 | Poly Network | Aug 2021 | ~$611 million |
| 5 | BNB Chain bridge | Oct 2022 | ~$570 million |
| 6 | Coincheck | Jan 2018 | ~$534 million |
| 7 | FTX | Nov 2022 | ~$477 million |
| 8 | Mt. Gox | 2011–2014 | ~850,000 BTC (~$450 million then) |
| 9 | Wormhole | Feb 2022 | ~$326 million |
| 10 | DMM Bitcoin | May 2024 | ~$305 million |
| 11 | WazirX | Jul 2024 | ~$230 million |
| 12 | Cetus Protocol | May 2025 | ~$223 million |
Amounts are in US dollars at the time of each hack.
1. Binance hack (October 2026) — about $6.3 billion
The biggest crypto hack ever happened on October 29, 2026. Attackers drained Binance hot wallets on ten blockchains in under an hour, taking 18,270 BTC, more than 200,000 ETH, billions in USDT and USDC, plus XRP, SOL and TRX. Binance traced the breach to a compromised DevOps engineer’s laptop that gave access to its withdrawal systems; it found no leaked private keys. Analysts at TRM Labs blame North Korea’s TraderTraitor group. Stablecoin issuers and partners froze about $3 billion, and Binance says it will cover all customer losses. Read the full story: Binance hack 2026: what happened.
2. Bybit hack (February 2025) — about $1.5 billion
On February 21, 2025, hackers took about 400,000 ETH-equivalent tokens from Dubai-based exchange Bybit by tricking its multisig signers during a routine transfer from cold to warm storage. The FBI attributed the attack to North Korea’s TraderTraitor (Lazarus Group). Bybit stayed solvent and covered customers with its own reserves and loans from partners.
3. Ronin Network hack (March 2022) — about $625 million
The Ronin bridge behind the game Axie Infinity lost 173,600 ETH and 25.5 million USDC after attackers took control of five of its nine validator keys — partly through a fake job offer sent to an engineer. The US Treasury linked the Ronin hack to the Lazarus Group.
4. Poly Network hack (August 2021) — about $611 million
A flaw in Poly Network’s cross-chain smart contracts let one hacker move about $611 million across Ethereum, BNB Chain and Polygon. In an unusual twist, the self-described “Mr. White Hat” returned almost all the funds within two weeks.
5. BNB Chain bridge exploit (October 2022) — about $570 million
An attacker forged proofs on the BSC Token Hub bridge and minted 2 million BNB out of thin air. Validators paused BNB Chain within hours, so only a fraction of the funds left the network — but it remains one of the biggest crypto hacks by headline value.
6. Coincheck hack (January 2018) — about $534 million
Japanese exchange Coincheck lost 523 million NEM tokens kept in a single hot wallet without multisig protection. The hack pushed Japan to tighten exchange rules, and Coincheck repaid customers in yen.
7. FTX hack (November 2022) — about $477 million
Hours after FTX filed for bankruptcy, about $477 million was drained from its wallets. In 2024, US prosecutors charged three people in a SIM-swap scheme they linked to the theft.
8. Mt. Gox (2011–2014) — about 850,000 BTC
Mt. Gox handled most of the world’s bitcoin trading before it collapsed in 2014, saying about 850,000 BTC had been lost to years of theft. About 200,000 BTC were later found, and creditors waited a decade for repayments to begin in 2024.
9. Wormhole hack (February 2022) — about $326 million
A signature-verification bug in the Wormhole bridge let an attacker mint 120,000 wrapped ETH on Solana without depositing real ETH. Jump Crypto replaced the funds within a day.
10. DMM Bitcoin hack (May 2024) — about $305 million
Japanese exchange DMM Bitcoin lost 4,502.9 BTC. The FBI and Japanese police later blamed North Korea’s TraderTraitor, which reached the exchange through a wallet software company. DMM Bitcoin shut down later that year.
11. WazirX hack (July 2024) — about $230 million
India’s WazirX lost almost half its reserves when attackers compromised one of its multisig wallets. The hack froze trading for months and led to a restructuring plan for its users.
12. Cetus Protocol hack (May 2025) — about $223 million
A math bug in Cetus, the largest decentralized exchange on the Sui blockchain, was used to drain liquidity pools. Sui validators froze about $162 million of the stolen funds.
What the biggest crypto hacks have in common
- North Korea is the No. 1 threat. Lazarus and TraderTraitor are blamed for Binance, Bybit, Ronin, DMM Bitcoin and more — billions of dollars in total.
- People are the weak point. Fake job offers, a compromised laptop and tricked signers caused more damage than code bugs.
- Bridges and hot wallets are prime targets because huge amounts sit in one place, online.
- Speed matters. Freezes by Tether, Circle and blockchain validators now recover a large share of stolen stablecoins within hours.
How to protect your crypto from hacks
- Keep long-term coins in a hardware wallet and store your seed phrase offline.
- Spread your risk — don’t keep everything on one exchange.
- Use an authenticator app or passkey, not SMS, for two-factor authentication.
- Turn on withdrawal whitelists and an anti-phishing code on exchanges.
- Ignore “refund” or “compensation” messages after a hack — they are almost always phishing scams.
- Never share your seed phrase with anyone, including “support” staff.
The list of the biggest crypto hacks in history keeps growing, and the Binance hack shows that size alone does not make a platform safe. Bookmark this page — we update it whenever a major crypto hack happens.
Sources: TRM Labs, CoinDesk, Wikipedia: 2024 WazirX hack.
FAQ
What is the biggest crypto hack in history?
The Binance hack of October 29, 2026, with about $6.3 billion stolen. The previous record was the $1.5 billion Bybit hack in February 2025.
Who is behind most big crypto hacks?
North Korea’s Lazarus Group and its TraderTraitor unit are linked to many of the largest thefts, including Bybit, Ronin, DMM Bitcoin and, according to analysts, Binance.
Do victims of crypto hacks get their money back?
Sometimes. Large exchanges such as Binance and Bybit have covered customer losses, and stablecoin freezes can recover part of the funds, but users of smaller platforms often lose money or wait years.
How can I keep my crypto safe?
Use a hardware wallet for long-term holdings, enable app-based two-factor authentication, use withdrawal whitelists and never share your seed phrase.
