The crypto universe has undergone a financial earthquake. In the first quarter of 2025, the pirates siphoned $ 1.63 billion, spraying all records. A dizzying figure, boosted by the titanic attack against Bybit, which alone represents 92 % of the losses. But behind these brutal statistics hide more nuanced realities: exploited flaws, vulnerable ecosystems and fragile resilience. Immersed in the bowels of a crisis that shakes the foundations of decentralization.
The blow
The attack on Bybit, in February 2025, acted as a blast. With $ 1.53 billion flights, this feat remains one of the most daring in the history of cryptos.
To understand its impact, it is necessary to return to the figures: in January, the losses amounted to $ 87 million, an already alarming amount.
Then February arrived, transforming a disturbing trend into a systemic disaster. Bybit was not just hacked; He was dismantled, exposing structural vulnerabilities that many believed improbable.
However, this massacre did not overshadow other attacks. In February, Infini ($ 50 million), Zklend (9.5 million) and Ionic (8.5 million) also suffered significant losses.
These incidentsdrowned in the shadow of Bybit, reveal an increase in various targets: protocols DEFI, loan platforms, trading infrastructure.
The pirates diversify their strategies, going from the exploitation of intelligent contracts to the manipulation of institutional portfolios.
Mars brought a semblance of respite, with a 97 % drop in flights ($ 33 million). Some funds have even been returned, such as the $ 4.5 million recovered by 1inch after muscular negotiations.
But this relative calm should not deceive: it is less a safe improvement than a tactical respite. Hackers digest their booty, while protocols reinforce – temporarily – their shields.
Crypto: the illusion of decentralized security
The 131 % increase in flights over a year question. How does an ecosystem praised for its transparency and robustness become a playground for cybercriminals? The answer lies in a paradox: the more the crypto becomes more democratized, the more its breakpoints multiply.
The DEFI protocols, designed to eliminate intermediaries, create exponential flaws. The attack on Abracadabra.Money ($ 13 million in March) is an illustration: a simple smart contract flaw was enough to empty the boxes.
RWA platforms (Real World Assets), like Zoth (8.4 million dollars stolen), embody another risk.
By connecting the crypto to traditional assets, they attract both institutional investors … and pirates in search of stable liquidity. The attack on Zoth, via a fraudulent transaction converted into Stablecoins, shows increasing sophistication. Hackers are no longer content to fly; They whiten in real time.
Faced with this threat, bug bonuses and negotiated restitutions emerge as a lame solution. The 1inch affair, where the pirate made 90 % of funds against a bonus of $ 500,000, asks an ethical question: is the criminals the price to pay to limit the damage? This practice, although pragmatic, risks normalizing a vicious circle. It also reveals a raw truth: in the crypto, security remains a race against the clock, where each innovation is accompanied by new dangers. A disturbing trend, even though the developers are gradually turning their backs on the crypto.
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