Crypto hacks in August 2025 drained $163M, including a record $91M lost by a single Bitcoin holder in a social engineering scam. | Credit: Getty Images.
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Key Takeaways
Crypto hacks surged 15% in August, with losses topping $163 million.
A single user lost $91.4 million in one of the largest-ever social engineering scams.
Turkish exchange BTCTurk was hit again, bringing its cumulative losses above $100 million.
The crypto industry closed August with another grim milestone: security exploits are rising, and so are the losses.
The steady escalation underscores a troubling trend in 2025. Despite ongoing investments in defense mechanisms, crypto remains fertile ground for increasingly sophisticated attackers.
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The single largest incident in August wasn’t a crypto exchange exploit but a devastating social engineering scam.
One Bitcoin holder was tricked into transferring 783 BTC—worth $91.4 million at the time—after falling for attackers posing as support staff from a trading platform and hardware wallet provider.
The scammers convinced the victim to surrender access credentials and approve the transfer, marking one of the largest personal losses in crypto history.
August saw 16 exploits resulting in losses of $163 million. Source: PeckShield.
Exchanges weren’t spared either.
Turkey’s BTCTurk suffered its second major crypto exploit in just over a year, losing $54 million in August after a $54 million hack in June 2024.
With more than $100 million gone in back-to-back incidents, the exchange faces mounting questions about its ability to secure customer funds.
Other notable exploits included DeFi protocols ODIN•FUN ($7 million), BetterBank.io ($5 million), and CrediX Finance ($4.5 million).
Top 5 Crypto Exploits in August 2025
Individual BTC holder — $91.4 million.
BTCTurk — $54 million.
ODIN•FUN — $7 million.
BetterBank.io — $5 million.
CrediX Finance — $4.5 million.
A Growing Threat
The rise in August follows an even sharper increase in July, when hack-related losses surged 27% from June.
Wallet compromises, phishing, and other forms of social engineering remain the dominant attack vectors.
PeckShield data shows that wallet breaches alone have cost users $1.7 billion across 34 incidents so far this year.
Analysts note that rising crypto prices—Bitcoin trading above $100,000 for much of 2025—may be motivating attackers further, even as defenders work to close vulnerabilities.
The Road Ahead
The persistence of large-scale hacks is fueling calls for stronger compliance and security standards across centralized and decentralized platforms alike.
Prashant Jha is a seasoned crypto journalist based in Delhi, India, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science Engineering. Passionate about the evolving world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, he has been a dedicated voice in the industry since 2018. Prashant’s expertise lies in regulatory reporting, where he unravels complex legal and financial developments with clarity and precision. Before joining CCN in 2024, he honed his craft at Cointelegraph, establishing himself as a trusted name in crypto journalism.
His coverage spans major industry events, including the high-profile collapses of FTX, Three Arrows Capital (3AC), and LUNA, offering readers insightful analyses of their regulatory and market implications. Prashant’s technical background enables him to bridge the gap between intricate blockchain technology and its real-world applications, making his work accessible to novices and experts.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Prashant is an avid music enthusiast, often exploring diverse genres to unwind. A sports lover, he has a particular passion for cricket and frequently engages in discussions about the game. His multifaceted interests and sharp journalistic instincts make him a valuable contributor to CCN, where he continues shaping the crypto landscape's narrative.
