How much did crypto exploit losses fall in May 2026?

According to CertiK, crypto exploit losses fell to $68.3 million in May, down nearly 90% from the $650 million lost in April. This made May the third month in 2026 with total losses below $100 million.

Why were crypto losses significantly lower in May?

The decline followed an unusually severe April that included several major hacks and exploits. While attacks continued in May, there were fewer large-scale incidents, leading to a much lower overall loss figure.

What were the biggest crypto hacks in May 2026?

The largest exploit targeted Verus Protocol, which lost approximately $11.5 million through a cross-chain bridge attack. THORChain recorded the second-largest exploit, with roughly $10.1 million stolen.

Which sectors were most targeted by hackers in May?

Cross-chain bridges were the most targeted category, accounting for $28.6 million in losses, or around 42% of the monthly total. Decentralised finance (DeFi) protocols were the second-most targeted sector.

What attack methods caused the most damage?

Code vulnerabilities were responsible for roughly $45 million in losses, representing about 66% of all funds stolen during the month. Wallet and private key compromises ranked second, causing approximately $13.7 million in losses.

How much of the stolen crypto was recovered?

CertiK reported that approximately $9.4 million was recovered or returned during May. Recoveries can occur through negotiations, white-hat interventions, law enforcement actions or voluntary returns by attackers.

How serious were phishing attacks in May?

Phishing attacks accounted for roughly $2.6 million in losses. Although smaller than major protocol exploits, phishing remains one of the most common threats facing individual crypto users.

Why are cross-chain bridges frequently hacked?

Cross-chain bridges often hold large amounts of assets and rely on complex smart contracts and infrastructure. Their complexity creates more potential vulnerabilities compared with applications operating on a single blockchain.

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Crypto losses drop 90% after April spike

Written by Liezl GambePublished Jun. 1 2026

Crypto exploit losses dropped sharply to $68.3 million in May, marking a nearly 90% decline from the $650 million lost during April, according to blockchain security firm CertiK.

The security company said May became the third month in 2026 to record crypto-related losses below $100 million following a period of elevated attacks earlier in the year.

“After a particularly bad April, May is now the third month of 2026 to record losses under $100 million,”

CertiK said.

The largest exploit in May targeted Verus Protocol's cross-chain bridge, resulting in losses of approximately $11.5 million, while THORChain suffered the second-largest incident with roughly $10.1 million stolen.

CertiK reported that around $9.4 million was recovered or returned during the month, while phishing attacks accounted for approximately $2.6 million of the total losses.

Code vulnerabilities remained the most expensive attack vector, responsible for roughly $45 million, or 66% of all losses, while compromised wallets and private keys contributed another $13.7 million.

Cross-chain bridges were the most frequently targeted infrastructure category, accounting for $28.6 million in losses, or about 42% of the monthly total, followed by decentralised finance protocols.

The report also highlighted growing concerns around AI-assisted malware, with attackers increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to compromise code repositories and manipulate AI coding assistants used by crypto and software developers.