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DeFi exploit wave 2026Update 16 of 24
North Korea Steals $643M in Crypto

North Korea-Linked Hackers Steal $643M in Crypto in H1 2026

AltsJul 4, 2026

A relentless wave of DeFi exploits—spanning smart contracts, bridges, oracles, and MEV bots—is draining hundreds of millions and pushing 2026 toward record hack losses.

North Korea-linked hackers were attributed with $643 million in cryptocurrency theft in the first half of 2026. This figure was reported alongside the broader crypto sector record of 207 attacks in H1 2026 with aggregate losses declining overall, indicating a concentration of large-scale losses in state-actor activity.

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