In April 2026, the crypto market experienced a record wave of hacker attacks, marking the largest scale in the history of decentralized finance (DeFi). Over 30 days, 28 different incidents were recorded in the sector, resulting in total losses exceeding $635 million.
This is reported by Finway
The Scale of the Problem: Daily Attacks and Major Losses
Throughout April, the number of attacks on DeFi projects reached a record high — on average, new incidents were reported daily. Losses during this period were the highest ever recorded in the industry. The largest damages occurred at the beginning and middle of the month: on April 1, the Drift Protocol was hacked, resulting in a loss of approximately $285 million.
The majority of the losses were due to several large-scale attacks. However, numerous smaller hacks also contributed significantly, with losses ranging from tens of thousands to several million dollars each. Overall, the number of attacks in April set a record for the market, and the total amount of losses is staggering even for seasoned participants in the crypto industry.
Top Five Hacks of April
The lion’s share of losses was recorded in the five largest incidents:
- Kelp DAO: The most notorious case — the hack of the cross-chain infrastructure Kelp DAO for $293 million. Hackers exploited a vulnerability and transferred assets across different networks, with part of the funds later laundered through THORChain.
- Drift Protocol: In second place — the attack on Drift Protocol with losses of around $285 million. The perpetrators prepared for the operation for a long time, compromised administrative access, and executed a complex series of transactions to withdraw funds.
- Rhea Finance: On April 16, an attack on Rhea Finance occurred, involving price manipulation within the protocol. As a result of the incident, users lost $18.4 million, but the project team announced full compensation for the losses.
- Grinex: On the same day, the sanctioned Russian exchange Grinex was affected, with approximately $15 million stolen. After the hack, the platform suspended operations, and experts noted that such platforms are often used to circumvent international sanctions against Russia.
- Wasabi Protocol: The last day of April was marked by an attack on Wasabi Protocol with losses exceeding $5 million. The attackers gained control over the management keys and updated the smart contracts, allowing them to seize users’ assets.
“According to available data, 28 incidents were recorded in the month, with total losses exceeding $635 million.”
All other 23 attacks that occurred in April were smaller in scale, but their cumulative impact is also significant for the market.
It is worth noting that in 2026, a significant portion of the crypto market losses was caused by hacker groups from North Korea, which have already stolen over $577 million, accounting for a large part of the total industry losses.