Crypto Losses Hit $370M in January 2026, Highest in 11 Months: CertiK

The cryptocurrency sector recorded approximately $370.3 million in losses from exploits, hacks, and scams in January 2026, the highest monthly total in 11 months and a sharp rise from prior periods, according to blockchain security firm CertiK.

The figure, detailed in CertiK’s alerts and covered by outlets like Yahoo Finance, Cointelegraph, and Coinpaper, reflects 40 confirmed incidents—a nearly fourfold increase from January 2025’s ~$98 million and a 214% jump from December 2025’s $117.8 million. Phishing and social engineering scams dominated, accounting for $311.3 million, with a single large-scale attack on January 16 stealing around $284 million from one victim via manipulated access to a hardware wallet recovery phrase (involving 1,459 BTC and 2.05 million LTC). The stolen funds were swiftly converted to privacy coin Monero, briefly boosting its price.

Technical exploits contributed a smaller share: PeckShield tracked 16 hacks totaling $86.01 million (a slight 1.42% YoY decrease), including notable cases like the $26.6 million Truebit overflow vulnerability, $30 million from Solana-based Step Finance treasury wallets (late January), $13 million from Swapnet, and smaller DeFi breaches at Saga ($6.2 million) and MakinaFi ($4.13 million).

Unlike broader market price declines (e.g., Bitcoin dipping below $76,000 amid macro pressures), CertiK’s tally focuses on stolen funds rather than unrealized portfolio losses from volatility, liquidations, or sell-offs. The report underscores persistent risks in user-level security (phishing/social engineering) over smart contract flaws, highlighting the need for better education, multi-factor protections, and vigilance against impersonation scams.

Despite the surge, analysts note resilience in the ecosystem’s long-term fundamentals—on-chain growth, institutional interest, and protocol upgrades—suggesting potential stabilization if user practices improve. Investors should prioritize secure wallet management, verify communications, and track real-time alerts from firms like CertiK to mitigate exposure in this high-risk environment.