According to DefiLlama data, the second quarter of 2026 became the most active period for crypto hacks on record, with 83 separate incidents — an all-time high. Despite the surge in frequency, total losses for the quarter reached approximately $755.3 million, still below the historical peak of $3.56 billion set in Q4 2020.
Attack Frequency Hits Record While Total Losses Stay Below Peak
Compared to Q4 2020, the number of attacks in Q2 2026 increased, but the average loss per incident decreased. The Q4 2020 losses were concentrated in a few massive hacks, while losses this quarter were more dispersed. Nonetheless, 83 attacks underscore persistent security vulnerabilities in the crypto ecosystem, demanding continued vigilance from projects and users.
Major Attack Events and Cross-Chain Bridge Risks
This quarter's losses were largely driven by two major incidents: a $293 million attack on KelpDAO and a $280 million attack on Drift Protocol, together accounting for more than three-quarters of total quarterly losses. Cross-chain bridges remained the biggest source of losses, with related attacks resulting in approximately $351 million stolen — nearly half of the quarterly total. Additionally, earlier this month, Humanity Protocol lost $36 million, Aztec Connect's passive smart contracts suffered two attacks each costing about $2.1 million, and decentralized exchange Raydium faced a $1.3 million attack in June.
These events highlight ongoing challenges in cross-chain bridge and smart contract security. Although overall losses are lower than the historical peak, the increasing frequency of attacks reminds all parties to strengthen security audits and risk management measures.