Bitcoin and Ethereum Face Major Hacks as Crypto Losses Climb to $8.74B in 2026

Bitcoin and Ether After Crypto Hacks: 2026 Losses Surge to $8.74B Following Binance Exploit

Crypto-related exploits have resulted in approximately $8.74 billion in stolen funds through October 31, 2026, compared with $2.51 billion during the corresponding period in 2025. The sharp increase was primarily driven by the October 29 Binance breach, which accounted for an estimated $6.36 billion.

However, excluding the Binance attack paints a different picture of the industry’s security situation. Other exploits generated around $2.38 billion in losses during 2026, approximately 5% below last year’s comparable figure. Despite the lower amount, the number of attacks climbed to 325 from 120 in 2025.

This suggests that crypto attacks have become more widespread, although most incidents have involved comparatively smaller amounts. The unprecedented Binance exploit was the exception that pushed this year’s total sharply higher.

DeFi Hacking Losses Continue to Mount

Bitcoin’s price behavior following major crypto exploits has not followed a consistent pattern. Data covering the ten largest attacks since January 2025 shows that BTC’s daily returns ranged from a 4.1% loss to a 1.9% gain. Among nine incidents with a full 30-day comparison, monthly price changes varied between a 15.5% decline and a 19.9% advance.

Broader market conditions appear to explain much of this difference. The three largest hacks recorded in 2025 were all followed by monthly Bitcoin losses, as the market was already under bearish pressure. Most of the major attacks in 2026 occurred during a stronger market environment.

Against this backdrop, Bitcoin’s reaction to the Binance breach raises questions about whether the cryptocurrency could experience another extended correction similar to the aftermath of Bybit or recover as it did following other major incidents this year.

Why Crypto Hacking Losses Increased in 2026

The extraordinary scale of the Binance incident is the biggest factor separating 2026 from 2025.

By the end of September, cumulative losses in 2026 stood at approximately $2.24 billion, compared with $2.48 billion during the same period in 2025. That changed on October 29, when hackers reportedly stole $6.36 billion from Binance across ten different blockchains in a single night.

The incident also established a connection between the largest crypto thefts of the two years. The FBI identified North Korea’s TraderTraitor group as responsible for the $1.4 billion Bybit exploit on February 21, 2025. Chainalysis has similarly linked the Binance attack to the same hacking operation.

The largest reported incidents include:

2026’s biggest exploits

• Binance: $6.36 billion — October 29.
• Bitget: $387 million — September 24.
• Liquid Network: $320 million — September 6.
• Drift: $295 million — April 1.
• Kelp: $293 million — April 18.

2025’s biggest exploits

• Bybit: $1.4 billion — February 21.
• Cetus: $223 million — May 22.
• Balancer: $128 million — November 3.
• Bitget: $100 million — April 20.
• Phemex: $85 million — January 23.

Beyond the size of individual attacks, the frequency of security incidents has increased significantly. A total of 325 exploits were recorded through October 2026, almost three times the 120 incidents reported during the same period in 2025.

Five attacks this year generated losses above $290 million each, compared with only one incident reaching that level in 2025. Compromised private keys and cross-chain bridge vulnerabilities were among the primary sources of losses outside the Binance breach.

Recovery efforts have also reduced the actual amount of permanently lost funds. According to CertiK’s October assessment, approximately $3.03 billion was frozen or recovered, largely involving Binance-related funds identified through on-chain monitoring. This brought adjusted losses for October to roughly $3.47 billion.

The annual figures differ across security trackers. CertiK estimates total gross losses of $9.2 billion in 2026 and $3.35 billion in 2025. DefiLlama reports $8.74 billion for this year and $2.72 billion for last year.

DISCOVER: Binance Exploit Suspect Holds $1.4 Billion in Bitcoin, Almost Three Times Weekly ETF Inflows

How BTC and ETH Perform After Major Crypto Exploits

Bitcoin’s initial reaction to major hacks has generally been less severe than its subsequent monthly movements. Historical data indicates that the direction of the broader market often has a greater influence on longer-term performance than the security incident itself.

The analysis compares Bitcoin and Ethereum prices with their respective closing levels one day before each of the ten largest exploits since 2025.

Bitcoin recorded losses on seven of the ten hack dates, averaging a 2.2% decline across those sessions. The Binance incident produced the largest daily drop at 4.1%, while BTC gained 1.9% on the day of the Cetus attack.

The 30-day results reveal a more significant difference between the two years. Bitcoin declined between 6.9% and 15.5% following all three major 2025 exploits. In 2026, four of the six incidents with sufficient monthly data were followed by positive returns, including a 19.9% increase after Coldcard.

Tokens directly connected to compromised platforms have sometimes experienced even larger corrections. Ethereum fell 26.7% during the month after the Bybit exploit, where most of the stolen assets were ETH. SUI also dropped 34.6% following the Cetus breach, which affected the largest decentralized exchange within the Sui ecosystem.

Bybit offers a particularly useful comparison for evaluating Binance because both were major exchange-related thefts involving more than $1 billion and suspected North Korean hackers.

After the Bybit attack, Bitcoin declined 14.2% within seven days. Concerns about U.S. trade tariffs added pressure to financial markets during the same period. BTC remained 12.4% below its pre-hack price after one month.

The initial reaction following Binance has been comparatively moderate. From the October 28 closing levels to Monday, the major cryptocurrencies recorded these changes:

• Bitcoin (BTC): Declined 4.3%.
• Ethereum (ETH): Lost 3.2%.
• BNB: Fell 7.2%, after dropping 8.1% on the day of the exploit.
• Solana (SOL): Decreased 8.4%.

Bitcoin Price Outlook: Will Binance Trigger Another Bybit-Style Correction?

Bitcoin’s current performance does not yet establish whether the Binance exploit will lead to an extended downturn or follow the recovery trend seen after several major hacks in 2026.

At the time of the analysis, BTC was trading near $77,870 on Binance, with little change over the previous 24 hours. It had also maintained support above its October 30 low of $76,326 for three consecutive days.

The 200-day exponential moving average (EMA), currently positioned around $76,512, represents an important technical level for Bitcoin. Maintaining support above this indicator could help prevent additional selling pressure.

On the upside, the 50-day EMA at $80,293 represents a significant resistance area. A sustained recovery above this threshold could improve the short-term market outlook.

The key price levels traders are monitoring include:

Resistance levels

• $78,878: Monday’s high.
• $80,293: The 50-day EMA.
• $81,971: Bitcoin’s October 29 high before the Binance exploit.

Support levels

• $76,512: The 200-day EMA.
• $76,326: The October 30 post-hack low.
• $74,968: The September 15 price low.

Bitcoin’s ability to defend the $76,000–$76,500 support region could determine its next major move. A breakdown below this area would increase the possibility of a deeper correction, while a recovery toward $80,293 could indicate that the market is absorbing the Binance shock more effectively than it did after the Bybit incident.