In the third quarter of 2023, the cryptocurrency industry faced a staggering loss of $889.3 million due to a surge in cyberattacks, scams, and rug pulls. This unfortunate figure surpasses the cumulative losses recorded in the first half of the year. Experts from Beosin, a cybersecurity firm, have dissected these losses, revealing that cyberattacks accounted for $540.16 million, while rug pulls and phishing scams contributed $282.96 million and $66.15 million, respectively.
The Rise Of Decentralized Finance Attacks
A notable trend in the crypto landscape was the surge in attacks targeting decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, constituting a whopping 67.4% of all exploits. The most significant blow was the Mixin Network hack, resulting in a loss of $200 million. Prominent platforms like Curve, CoinEx, Alphapo, and Stake also fell victim to substantial losses.
Rug Pulls: Multichain, Bald, and Pepe in the Spotlight
Rug pulls, a malicious maneuver often associated with meme coins, struck hard in Q3. Multichain, Bald, and Pepe were among the most affected, with losses ranging from $15.5 million to a staggering $210 million.
Crypto Giants Ethereum and BNB Chain Under Attack
The quarter also witnessed a series of devastating attacks on major blockchain networks. Ethereum and BNB Chain, two of the most prominent players in the industry, suffered losses of $227 million and $37.4 million, respectively. These incidents sent shockwaves through the crypto community, highlighting the vulnerabilities that persist even in established protocols.
Also Read: BNB Hacker Loses More Than 53 Million Dollars After Liquidation Occurs
Recovery Remains Elusive
Regrettably, only a meager 10% of the stolen assets have been recovered, illustrating the challenges in tracing and retrieving lost funds. Crypto ransomware attacks saw a notable increase in the first half of 2023, although the amount of funds flowing into criminal crypto addresses dropped by 65%. Despite this decrease, attackers managed to extort $175.7 million more by June 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
As the crypto industry grapples with these mounting challenges, investors and participants are urged to exercise utmost caution and employ robust security measures to safeguard their assets. The wave of scams and hacks serves as a stark reminder of the ever-evolving tactics employed by malicious actors in the digital realm.
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