Crypto hacks surged 15% in August with $163 million stolen across 16 major exploits, according to PeckShield data.
The losses exceeded July’s $142 million total as hackers targeted exchanges, DeFi protocols, and individual holders through increasingly sophisticated social engineering attacks and technical vulnerabilities.
August Becomes Third-Worst Month for Crypto Security in 2025
A single Bitcoin holder lost $91.4 million on August 19 through social engineering after attackers posed as support agents for a hardware wallet to obtain wallet credentials.
Source: ZachXBTThe victim transferred 783 BTC to criminals who immediately laundered funds through Wasabi Wallet, a privacy tool commonly used to obscure transaction trails.
Turkish exchange BtcTurk also suffered its second major breach in 14 months, losing $54 million in a coordinated multi-chain attack targeting hot wallets across Ethereum, Avalanche, Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, Mantle, and Polygon networks.
The exchange’s total losses now exceed $100 million following a previous $54 million hack in June 2024.
The month’s other major incidents included ODIN•FUN losing $7 million, BetterBank.io facing $5 million in losses, and CrediX Finance suffering a $4.5 million exploit before its development team vanished completely.
The CrediX incident evolved into an apparent exit scam after hackers initially agreed to return funds but ultimately sent assets to Tornado Cash mixing service instead.
Notably, physical violence against crypto holders was minimal this month, with only a former trader kidnapped in Paris for a €10,000 ransom before being released with facial injuries.
Social Engineering and Exchange Vulnerabilities Drive Major Losses
The $91.4 million Bitcoin holder attack occurred exactly one year after the $243 million Genesis creditor theft.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT uncovered the scheme two days after the August 19 incident, revealing how the attacker had systematically gained the victim’s trust before requesting sensitive wallet information.
For the BtcTurk’s attack, the multi-chain exploit began with suspicious transfers detected by Cyvers’ security firm approximately 30 minutes after initial unauthorized access.
Attackers consolidated stolen assets into two primary wallets before systematically swapping various cryptocurrencies for Ethereum through decentralized exchanges.
The Turkish exchange immediately suspended all cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals while maintaining fiat currency operations.
BtcTurk initially avoided using terms like “hack” or “breach,” instead describing the situation as technical difficulties that required temporary security measures.
However, in the case of the CrediX Finance incident, it turned out to be an exit scam tactic disguised as recovery negotiations.
After losing $4.5 million through a multisig wallet compromise on August 4, the protocol initially assured users that successful negotiations with exploiters for the return of funds would be completed within two days.
However, the development team vanished on August 8, deleting all official accounts and leaving users without recourse.
Physical Violence Targets French Crypto Community Through Systematic Kidnapping
The August 28 kidnapping of a 35-year-old former crypto trader in Paris marked the tenth crypto-linked abduction reported in France during recent months.
Kidnappers demanded €10,000 ransom from the victim’s Algerian contact before releasing him on Wednesday morning with facial swelling and strangulation injuries.
French authorities have identified coordinated criminal networks systematically targeting crypto entrepreneurs through increasingly brutal tactics.
France now accounts for nearly one-third of the 32 global “wrench attacks” reported in 2025, with the country now seen as a dangerous place for crypto entrepreneurs.
In May, prosecutors charged 25 suspects linked to multiple abduction plots, including attempts on Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat’s daughter, using fake delivery vans as cover.
Moroccan authorities arrested Franco-Moroccan suspect Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou in Tangier following an Interpol Red Notice, identifying him as a key organizer coordinating operations from outside France.
Investigators believe a second Franco-Moroccan organizer remains at large, using social media to recruit young French nationals.
The violence extends globally, with Belgium sentencing three men to 12 years for kidnapping crypto investor Stephane Winkel’s wife in December 2024.
The August incidents contribute to 2025’s devastating security trend, with crypto investors losing over $3.1 billion in the year’s first half through digital attacks and physical violence.
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