North Korean hackers dominate April 2026 crypto heists

Crypto hack losses hit $629.7M in April 2026, with North Korean-linked hackers responsible for 76% of global losses, mainly from two major DeFi attacks. Total North Korean crypto theft since 2017 exceeds $6B.

Crypto hack losses soared to $629.7 million in April 2026, the highest monthly figure since February 2025. The bulk of these losses stemmed from two significant attacks: a $293 million breach of KelpDAO and a $280 million exploit of Drift Protocol. Together, these incidents accounted for 82% of the month’s total losses. According to TRM Labs and other sources, North Korean-linked hackers were behind about 76% of all global crypto hack losses in the first four months of 2026, totaling roughly $577 million. Notably, while these two April attacks represented only 3% of the total number of hacks, they made up the vast majority of the stolen value. Since 2017, North Korean groups have stolen over $6 billion from crypto protocols, with their share of global crypto theft rising sharply. These attacks often involve advanced tactics, including social engineering and exploiting vulnerabilities in blockchain bridges and off-chain systems. Experts highlight that North Korean operations have become the dominant force in on-chain theft, continually refining their methods to evade international sanctions.