Crypto hackers inflicted their heaviest losses in over three years during April, making it one of the most damaging months the sector has seen since March 2022, when the losses totaled over $715 million.
Security experts say attackers stole hundreds of millions of dollars from investors and projects by exploiting lax security measures, human error, and deceptive tactics. The month recorded roughly 29 incidents, approximately one per day, an 81% jump from the previous high of 16 in January 2026 and the highest on record.
April 2026 Sets a Grim New Benchmark
Hackers, scammers, and exploits cost crypto users over $715 million in April, according to CertiK, a blockchain security company. That amount shows how quickly the threat level may shift, as it is more than 1,100 percent above the $28.8 million lost in March.
A single, incredibly clever crime targeted an elderly American Bitcoin holder, causing the bulk of April’s losses. The victim lost 3,520 Bitcoin, which at the time was worth roughly $330.7 million, after attackers used clever social engineering to gain access to their wallet, as per ZachXBT.
One of the top five cryptocurrency thefts ever reported, this incident illustrates how humans, not just systems, can be the primary targets.
Phishing, Social Engineering Led April Attacks
CertiK reports that phishing, access control exploits, social engineering, and price manipulation were the top attack vectors in April. Phishing and social engineering focus on tricking users or employees into giving up keys or approvals, while access control bugs and price manipulation usually strike protocols and DeFi platforms.
DeFi protocols once again accounted for a large share of technical exploits, including cases in which attackers manipulated token pricing functions to drain liquidity. In one example, Loopscale suffered a major exploit tied to its RateX PT token pricing, though the protocol later recovered about half the stolen funds. Centralized services were less visible during this particular spike, but past annual data shows they remain high‑value targets for hackers.
Despite the record losses, not all stolen funds stayed in criminal hands. CertiK reports that during April, affected protocols, white hat hackers, and negotiations with exploiters recovered roughly $18.2 million. KiloEx, for example, saw a full recovery of about 7.5 million dollars just 4 days after it was exploited.
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