CertiK says phishing, deepfakes, supply chain attacks, and cross chain vulnerabilities may drive some of the biggest crypto hacks in 2026. The warning came from Natalie Newson, senior blockchain investigator at CertiK, as losses from major attacks continued to rise in April.
The crypto sector has already lost more than $600 million to crypto hacks in 2026. Two North Korea linked hacks made up most of that figure in April. These included the $293 million Kelp DAO exploit and the $280 million Drift Protocol exploit.
In addition, another attack raised concerns about the use of AI in crypto security breaches. On April 15, crypto wallet Zerion said North Korean affiliated attackers used AI in a long term social engineering campaign that stole about $100,000 from the company’s hot wallets.
Phishing and Deepfakes Push Crypto Hacks Higher
According to CertiK, the growing use of AI is changing how crypto hacks happen. Newson said attackers now use more advanced tools, including deepfake content, automated systems, and AI based methods that can support fraud and exploitation.
“There are now more convincing deepfakes, autonomous attack agents, and ‘agentic AI’ that can autonomously scan smart contracts for bugs, draft exploit code and execute attacks at machine speed,”
Newson said.
That shift has added new pressure to crypto security. In many cases, attackers no longer rely only on fake websites or copied wallet pages. Instead, they can use cloned voices, fake video, and AI generated identities to make phishing and social engineering attacks harder to detect.
On April 6, a report said a threat actor known as Jinkusu was allegedly selling cybercrime tools designed to bypass Know Your Customer checks at banks and crypto platforms. The tools reportedly used deepfakes and voice manipulation. That case added to concerns about how AI may support fraud across the digital asset sector.
Supply Chain Attacks and Cross Chain Vulnerabilities Deepen Crypto Security Risks
Supply chain attacks have also become a major part of the crypto hacks landscape. Instead of attacking one app or protocol directly, these breaches target the services, vendors, or infrastructure that crypto platforms depend on.
CertiK said hackers stole $3.3 billion in 2025. Out of that amount, $1.45 billion came from supply chain attacks across only two incidents. The largest example was the $1.4 billion Bybit hack in February 2025.
“The Bybit exploit signals that well-capitalized, well-coordinated threat actors are becoming more active across the ecosystem,”
the report said. CertiK also said supply chain attacks are becoming more sophisticated as attackers target more infrastructure providers.
The Kelp DAO exploit added to those concerns. The $293 million Kelp DAO exploit involved what the report described as a single point of trust failure in LayerZero infrastructure. That detail showed how cross chain vulnerabilities and shared messaging systems can expose connected platforms to large losses.
At the same time, the Drift Protocol exploit, which reached $280 million, pushed April losses even higher. Together, the Kelp DAO exploit and Drift Protocol exploit accounted for most of the $600 million lost to crypto hacks in 2026 so far.
CertiK Data Shows Crypto Security Pressure Rising as Regulators Respond
Newson also said AI may play a role on the defensive side of crypto security. Reports have already pointed to a rise in AI related bug bounty submissions, including both valid and invalid findings.
In addition, Anthropic’s AI model Claude Mythos claimed it could find vulnerabilities in major operating systems. The model has reportedly been deployed defensively with a limited group of tech firms.
Meanwhile, regulators are responding to the rise in crypto hacks. On April 9, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection, or OCCIP, said it was expanding its cybersecurity threat identification program to include digital asset companies.
As a result, CertiK, crypto security, phishing, deepfakes, supply chain attacks, and cross chain vulnerabilities are now central parts of the 2026 crypto risk picture. The data from the Kelp DAO exploit, Drift Protocol exploit, and other North Korea linked hacks has already pushed those threats into focus.
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Tatevik Avetisyan is an editor at Kriptoworld who covers emerging crypto trends, blockchain innovation, and altcoin developments. She is passionate about breaking down complex stories for a global audience and making digital finance more accessible.
📅 Published: April 23, 2026 • 🕓 Last updated: April 23, 2026
