TOP 10 HACKED CRYPTOCURRENCY CENTRALIZED EXCHANGE (CEX) BY VALUE WITHIN 2009 - 2025
1] BYBIT
> Hacked Amount: ~$1.5B (2025)
â In February 2025, Bybit suffered the largest cryptocurrency exchange hack in history, losing roughly 400,000 ETH (~$1.4â1.5 B at the time). Hackers stole funds from a supposedly secure multisignature cold wallet by injecting malicious code through a third-party wallet provider interface.The attack was linked to the North Korean Lazarus Group, known for state-sponsored crypto thefts.
2] COINCHECK
> Hacked Amount: ~$534M (2018)
â Japanese exchange Coincheck lost about 523 million NEM tokens (~$530M) in January 2018, when hackers drained one of its hot wallets (online wallets) without adequate multi-sig protection. Poor security practices, most customer NEM was stored in an online wallet with weak governance. The hack prompted Japanâs regulators to tighten oversight of crypto exchanges nationwide.
3] MT. GOX
> Hacked Amount: ~$473M (2014)
â Once the worldâs largest Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox gradually lost access to massive amounts of BTC â around 650,000â850,000 BTC due to ongoing exploitation of security flaws from 2011 to 2014. A mix of transaction malleability, poor internal controls, and stolen private keys allowed attackers (or insiders) to siphon bitcoin undetected over years.
4] DMM BITCOIN
> Hacked Amount: ~$305M (2024)
â In May 2024, Japanese exchange DMM Bitcoin was hacked for over $300M in digital assets. Attackers used social engineering to obtain internal credentials and access wallets. Highights how human-targeted methods (credential theft) can jeopardize even highly capitalized platforms.
5] KUCOIN
> Hacked Amount: ~$281M (2020)
â In September 2020, KuCoinâs hot wallets were breached, leading to a loss of roughly $280M in crypto including BTC, ETH, XRP and more. Hackers obtained hot wallet private keys, enabling them to drain funds. The hack is linked to deeper issues of key management and nurtured industry improvements.
6] WAZIRX
> Hacked Amount: ~$234M (2024)
â In July 2024, Indian exchange WazirX was breached and about $234M in crypto assets were stolen from its multi-signature wallet. Vulnerabilities in custody and multi-sig verification allowed unauthorized transfers. The attack is associated with North Korean Lazarus Group and emphasized risk in multisig workflow design.
7] BITMART
> Hacked Amount: ~$196M (2021)
â In December 2021, BitMart suffered a $196M theft when attackers used stolen private keys to take control of wallets. Compromised private keys gave attackers full access to deploy unauthorized transfers. The breach highlighted the importance of private key protection and hardware security.
8] BITFINEX
> Hacked Amount ~$72M (2016)
â In August 2016, Bitfinex lost around 119,756 BTC (~$72M at the time) in a sophisticated hot wallet compromise. Attackers executed large stolen transactions from segregated wallets after gaining access. Years later, portions of the stolen BTC were recovered and seized by U.S. authorities.
9] UPBIT
> Hacked Amount: ~$51M (2019)
â In 2019, South Koreaâs Upbit was hacked and 342,000 ETH ($49M) was transferred from its wallets in a short period. âAbnormal transactionâ signals suggested exploitation of wallet infrastructure. Upbit reported that user funds were intact, and the exchange absorbed the loss without affecting users.
10] BINANCE
> Hacked Amount: ~$40M (2019)
â In May 2019, Binanceâs hot wallets were compromised and 7000 BTC ($40M) stolen. Hackers gained access to user API keys and 2FA codes, enabling withdrawals. Binance paused withdrawals and used its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) to cover losses without user impact. It spurred industry-wide adoption of SAFU-style insurance pools.
If youâve been impacted by a cryptocurrency scam, donât face it alone. Contact SRT Intelligence for support. At SRT Intelligence, we work side by side with law enforcement to trace stolen digital assets and help victims reclaim what was taken.