Crypto Exploit Losses Plunge 60% in December 2025, Yet Threat Landscape Remains Active
December 2025 – A recent report from blockchain‑security firm PeckShield shows that total losses from major crypto hacks fell sharply to roughly $76 million, down from more than $190 million in November. The dip marks one of the steepest month‑over‑month reductions this year, but analysts caution that exploit activity is far from eliminated.
December’s Numbers
- Total loss: ≈ $76 million
- Major incidents: 26 exploits classified as “major” by PeckShield
- Month‑on‑month change: ~‑60 % compared with November’s $194.3 million loss
The decline is significant, yet the underlying frequency of attacks stayed high. While the headline‑grabbing breaches that can push losses into the hundreds of millions have receded, a steady stream of smaller but still costly exploits persisted throughout the month.
Notable Exploits
| Incident | Approx. Loss | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Erroneous transfer to a malicious address | $50 M | Human error / address spoofing |
| Multisig wallet compromised after private‑key leak | $27.3 M | Private‑key exposure |
| “Babursol” exploit | $22 M | Smart‑contract vulnerability |
| Trust Wallet browser‑extension breach | $8.5 M | Credential theft via malicious extension |
| Unleash Protocol | $3.9 M | Contract exploit |
| Flow (Layer‑1 blockchain) | $3.9 M | Token‑drop exploit |
The two largest incidents alone accounted for more than 70 % of the month’s total losses. The remainder was spread across a mix of DeFi protocols, wallet services, and user‑side mistakes such as phishing and key leakage.
Context and Possible Drivers
- Seasonal slowdown – The calendar‑year close often sees fewer large‑scale, high‑profile attacks, possibly because threat actors shift focus to other periods or because many projects pause major upgrades and launches over the holidays.
- Improved defensive postures – Several DeFi platforms reported implementing tighter multisig controls and more rigorous address‑validation checks after earlier 2025 incidents, which may have mitigated the impact of some attempted exploits.
- Continued user‑side risk – Despite technical hardening, the bulk of December’s losses stemmed from human error (mistyped addresses, compromised private keys) and phishing‑related attacks—vectors that remain difficult to eliminate through protocol‑level safeguards alone.
Security researcher “Phantom Security” underscored the cyclical nature of the threat environment, noting that periods of relative calm are typically followed by a “boom” hack that can wipe out months of incremental gains in security. The pattern observed in December appears consistent with that warning.
Broader Landscape
The month’s data comes on the heels of Last year’s Bybit hack, in which North‑Korean actors siphoned $1.5 billion—the largest ever cryptocurrency theft. While that event lies outside the current reporting window, it serves as a reminder that single‑point failures at centralized exchanges can still dwarf the sum of monthly DeFi losses.
Key Takeaways
- Losses fell dramatically but attacks did not disappear. December’s 60 % reduction reflects fewer blockbuster hacks, not a collapse in overall exploit activity.
- Human error remains a top loss driver. Mis‑routed transactions and private‑key leaks together accounted for roughly $77 million, over half of the month’s total.
- Security hygiene must extend beyond code audits. Multi‑layer protection—address checks, hardware wallets, and robust key‑management policies—are crucial to curbing user‑side vulnerabilities.
- The “boom‑bust” cycle persists. Market participants should anticipate periodic spikes in exploit severity, even after periods of relative calm.
- Monitoring and rapid response are essential. Continuous threat intelligence, such as PeckShield’s monthly reports, provides the early‑warning needed to adapt defenses in a fast‑evolving landscape.
As 2025 draws to a close, the crypto ecosystem appears to be navigating a delicate balance: technical improvements are yielding lower aggregate losses, yet the underlying threat surface remains broad. Stakeholders—from protocol developers to end‑users—must maintain vigilance and adopt a layered security mindset to weather the inevitable next wave of exploits.
Source: https://thedefiant.io/news/hacks/crypto-exploits-december-2025-peckshield-report
