In April, the crypto world saw $364 million vanish to scams, exploits and hacks. That figure jumps 1,163% from March’s $28.8 million haul, according to a post on April 30 by blockchain security firm CertiK.
The surge reflected a single, massive theft that targeted an American retiree.
Massive Bitcoin Theft
The biggest attack this month involved 3,520 Bitcoin, valued at $330.7 million. The victim, an elderly U.S. resident, fell prey to an elaborate social engineering scheme on April 30.
Through careful manipulation, the hacker gained access to the retiree’s wallet and swept out all the funds. This one incident pushed April’s total up sharply.
According to DeFilama, the total value stolen across all hacks now sits at $11.35 billion, and of that $6.4 billion was lost within DeFi alone.
Also Read: February 2025 Becomes The Worst Month In Crypto History With $1.51 Billion Lost In 20 Hacks, Report
White Hat Recoveries
Not all exploiters kept the money. CertiK noted that ethical hackers returned about $18.2 million to protocols such as KiloEx, Loopscale and ZKsync. Their prompt repayment helped reduce the net losses for the month.
Excluding the Bitcoin heist, the sector lost $34 million in April, a 21% rise from March.
Key Attack Methods
Phishing scams led the pack of criminal activity in April, thanks in large part to the Bitcoin robbery. Social engineering plots came next, followed by access control hacks and price manipulation tricks. These methods have become standard playbooks for those looking to target digital assets.
So far this year, February remains the worst month for crypto security. That month saw $1.53 billion stolen, mainly from the Bybit breach carried out by North Korea’s Lazarus Group. This attack, at $1.4 billion, still ranks as the largest crypto hack ever.
Protocol Responses
Some platforms managed to claw back stolen funds. ZKsync Association recovered $5 million after negotiating with the attacker who breached its airdrop contract.
Loopscale also reclaimed $5.8 million from its own hack. Both protocols offered 10% bounties in exchange for a full return of funds and a promise of no legal action.
Year-End Trend
Losses were trending down late last year. In December 2024, only $28.6 million was stolen, compared with $63.8 million in November and $115.8 million in October. Experts say the drop reflected tighter security measures and less frenetic market action as the year closed.
April’s spike in losses underscores how quickly attacks can escalate when high-value targets slip up. As hackers grow more sophisticated, industry watchers expect more emphasis on education and strong security controls.
The coming months will reveal whether platforms can keep pace with the evolving threats and protect users from further large-scale thefts.
Also Read: KiloEx Offers 10% Bounty to Hacker, Sets 72-Hour Deadline for Return of Stolen Funds