Chainalysis: North Korea-linked hacks account for nearly 89% of crypto hack losses in 2026

Suspected DPRK operations now drive the overwhelming majority of stolen crypto, with average losses per attack more than tripling since 2021 Crypto has a hacking problem. Increasingly, that problem traces back to Pyongyang. Suspected North Korea-linked hacks accounted for nearly 89% of reported crypto hack losses in 2026 so far, according to data published by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis on October 30, 2026. In 2021, that share was just 15%. The numbers behind the surge Chainalysis tracked reported crypto hack losses from 2021 through October 29, 2026. Over that window, total reported losses came to an estimated $22.34 billion. Suspected DPRK-linked hacks made up an estimated $13.24 billion of that total. That works out to about 59% of all reported losses across the period. The more telling figure may be the size of each attack. The average loss per suspected DPRK-linked incident was $50.65 million in 2021, per Chainalysis. In 2026 year-to-date, that average climbed to $185.65 million. Each attack is now more than three times as costly as it was five years ago. The data points to fewer, bigger strikes rather than a flood of small ones. The concentration of losses in a hand...