Tracking Trust: Exchange Hacks, Thefts, and Closures in the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem
The Evolving Landscape of Cryptocurrency Exchange Security (2010 / Present)
The provided data, which tracks compromised crypto exchanges year-by-year, detailing the Year, Month, Exchange, Amount, and the nature of the breach (Hacked), along with the news source—offers a stark, quantitative overview of the digital asset security challenge. This information, updated periodically, serves as a critical historical record illustrating the persistent vulnerability within the centralized crypto ecosystem.
The Paradox of Awareness and Exposure
It's evident that as the years pass, user awareness regarding the self-custody of funds (e.g., using hardware wallets) has significantly increased. The common mantra:
"Not your keys, not your Bitcoins"
has become ingrained in the cryptocurrency community.
However, the reality reflected in the breach data presents a paradox: as awareness grows, so does exposure.
- Increased Attack Surface: The sheer proliferation of exchanges (centralized and decentralized) means the overall attack surface of the crypto market is constantly expanding. Each new exchange represents a new honey pot for malicious actors and a new point of potential systemic failure.
- Sophisticated Threats: Attackers are not static. The shift from simple brute-force hacking attempts to more sophisticated supply-chain attacks (targeting proveedores de servicios de terceros), advanced social engineering (targeting exchange employees), and exploitation of complex code vulnerabilities requires users to adopt increasingly sophisticated, personal custody measures (like multisig setups or advanced cold storage) to safeguard their assets, be they Bitcoin or altcoins.
- Regulatory Friction: While regulations are being introduced to enhance security, they often struggle to keep pace with rapid technological development, creating regulatory loopholes that hackers can exploit.
The Imperative of Decentralization and Self-Custody
The recurring pattern of centralized exchange compromises underscores the fundamental security weakness of holding assets in a third-party custodial wallet. The data strongly reinforces the notion that true ownership in the crypto space necessitates personal control over private keys.
The continuous listing of breaches, despite global efforts to enhance platform security, is a clear signal: for both new and established market participants, self-custody is not merely a preference, but an essential security practice in the face of an ever-growing and increasingly exposed exchange landscape.
A Detailed Timeline of Cryptocurrency Exchange, Hacking Incidents, Thefts, and Non-Operational Closures:
2025
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. | Bybit | 1,460,000,000 | 400,000 ETH |
| May | Coinbase | 400,000,000 | Data Breach |
| Jun. | Nobitex | 90,000,000 | Hack |
| Jul. | CoinDCX | 44,000,000 | Theft |
| Jul. | BigONE | 27,000,000 | Hack |
2024
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | DMM Bitcoin | 305,000,000 | 4,502 BTC (keys) |
| Jul. | WazirX | 235,000,000 | Multisig |
| Jun. | BtcTurk | 55,000,000 | Hot wallet |
| Sep. | BingX | 43,000,000 | Hot wallet |
| Sep. | Indodax | 22,000,000 | Hot wallet |
2023
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. | Poloniex | 120,000,000 | Hot wallet |
| Jun. | Atomic Wallet | 100,000,000 | 5,500 users |
| Sep. | CoinEx | 70,000,000 | Private key |
| Nov. | HTX (Huobi) | 30,000,000 | Hot wallet |
| Apr. | GDAC | 13,000,000 | Hot wallet |
2022
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. | Binance (BSC) | 570,000,000 | Smart Chain |
| Nov. | FTX | 477,000,000 | Hacked |
| Jan. | Crypto.com | 33,700,000 | Accounts |
| Nov. | Deribit | 28,000,000 | Hot wallet |
| Jan. | LCX | 8,000,000 | Hacked |
2021
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. | BitMart | 196,000,000 | ETH/BSC |
| Aug. | Liquid | 97,000,000 | Phishing |
| May | LCX | 6,800,000 | Hot wallet |
| Feb. | Cryptopia | 45,000 | BTC |
| Apr. | Hotbit | (attempt) | Denied |
2020
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep. | KuCoin | 150,000,000 | Crypto / BTC |
| Sep. | Eterbase | 5,300,000 | Crypto / BTC |
| Dec. | Livecoin | 465,000 | Crypto / BTC |
| Feb. | Altsbit | 63,000 | Crypto / BTC |
| Jul. | Cashaa | — | 336 BTC |
| Dec. | Altilly | — | — |
2019
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | QuadrigaCX | 190,000,000 | Blocked |
| Nov. | Upbit | 49,000,000 | 342,000 ETH |
| May | Binance | 41,000,000 | 7,000 BTC |
| Jul. | Bitpoint | 32,000,000 | Crypto / BTC |
| Jan. | Cryptopia | 16,000,000 | Crypto / ETH |
| Mar. | Bithumb | 13,000,000 | Crypto |
| Jun. | GateHub | 10,000,000 | XRP |
| Jun. | Bitrue | 5,000,000 | XRP / ADA |
| Feb. | Coinmama | 450,000 | emails+passwords |
| Jan. | Liqui Crypto | — | Shut Down |
| Mar. | DragonEx | Not revealed | Crypto |
| Mar. | Coinbene | Not revealed | Blocked |
| Jun. | Bitsane | Not revealed | Exit scam |
| Jun. | Bitcoins Norway | Not revealed | — |
| Jun. | BitMarket | Not revealed | Shut Down |
| Dec. | PlusToken Ponzi | — | Scammers |
2018
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Coincheck | 500,000,000 | NEM |
| Feb. | BitGrail | 187,000,000 | Nano |
| Sep. | Zaif | 60,000,000 | Crypto / BTC |
| Jun. | Coinrail | 40,000,000 | Crypto |
| Jun. | Bithumb | 30,000,000 | Crypto |
| May | Bitcoin Gold | 18,000,000 | BTG |
| Jul. | Bancor | 13,500,000 | Crypto |
| Apr. | Coinsecure | 3,500,000 | 430 BTC |
| Mar. | Foxbit | 270,000 | 30 BTC |
2017
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. | Nicehash | 65,000,000 | 4,736 BTC |
| Jun. | Bithumb | 31,000,000 | Crypto |
| Apr. | Yapizon (Youbit) | 5,300,000 | 3,816 BTC |
| Aug. | OKEx | 3,000,000 | 600 BTC |
| Dec. | Youbit | 17% assets | Shut Down |
2016
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. | Bitfinex | 77,000,000 | 119,700 BTC |
| May | Gatecoin | 2,140,000 | 250 BTC |
| Oct. | Bitcurex | 1,500,000 | 2,300 BTC |
| Apr. | Shapeshift | 230,000 | 469 BTC |
| Mar. | Cointrader | Not revealed | Shuts Down |
2015
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Bitstamp | 5,200,000 | 19,000 BTC |
| Feb. | BTER | 1,750,000 | 7,170 BTC |
| Feb. | KipCoin | 600,000 | 3,000 BTC |
| Jan. | 796Exchange | 230,000 | 1,000 BTC |
| May | Coinapult | 42,900 | 150 BTC |
| Jan. | LocalBitcoins | — | 17 BTC |
| May | Bitfinex | Hot Wallet | 1,500 BTC |
2014
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. | Mt.Gox | 473,000,000 | 750,000 BTC |
| Jul. | Cryptsy | 7,500,000 | 13,000 BTC |
| Feb. | Silk Road 2 | 2,600,000 | 4,476 BTC |
| Dec. | BitPay | 1,800,000 | 5,000 BTC |
| Oct. | MintPal | 1,300,000 | VeriCoin |
| Aug. | BTER | 1,065,000 | NXT |
| Oct. | KipCoin | 690,000 | 3,000 BTC |
| Mar. | Flexcoin | 600,000 | 896 BTC |
| Mar. | CryptoRush | 570,000 | 950 BTC |
| Mar. | Canadian Bitcoins | 95,000 | 149 BTC |
| Mar. | Poloniex | 64,000 | 97 BTC |
| Mar. | Bitcurex | Not revealed | BTC |
2013
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. | PicoStocks | 3,000,000 | 5,896 BTC |
| Nov. | inputs.io | 1,200,000 | 4,100 BTC |
| Mar. | Bitcoin Rain | 230,000 | 4,000 BTC |
| Apr. | ZigGap | 195,000 | 1,708 BTC |
| May | Vircurex | 160,000 | 1,450 BTC |
| Jun. | PicoStocks | 130,000 | 1,300 BTC |
| Nov. | Just-Dice | 108,807 | 1,300 BTC |
| Nov. | bitcash.cz | 100,000 | 485 BTC |
| Apr. | Ozcoin | 100,000 | 923 BTC |
| Dec. | Sheep Market | 100,000 | 5,400 BTC |
| Oct. | Silk Road | FBI confiscation | 171,955 BTC |
| Feb. | Bit LC | Not revealed | 2,000 BTC |
| Mar. | BTC Guild | Not revealed | 1,254 BTC |
| Apr. | Bitcoin Central | Not revealed | x.xxx BTC |
| Aug. | Android RNG bug | Not revealed | 60 BTC |
| Oct. | basic-mining | Not revealed | 2,131 BTC |
| Oct. | GBL | Not revealed | 22,000 BTC |
| Nov. | Bips | Not revealed | 1,295 BTC |
| Nov. | Bidextreme | Not revealed | 500 BTC |
2012
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul. | Bitcoinica | 300,000 | 40,000 BTC |
| Sep. | Bitfloor | 250,000 | 24,000 BTC |
| Mar. | Bitcoinica | 228,000 | 43,000 BTC |
| May | Bitcoinica | 87,000 | 18,457 BTC |
| Jul. | BTC-e | — | 4,500 BTC |
2011
| Month | Exchange | Amount ($) | Hacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. | MyBitcoin | 1,072,500 | 78,735 BTC |
| Jul. | Bitomat.pl | 231,570 | 17,000 BTC |
| Jun. | Mass MyBitcoin | 60,000 | 4,000 BTC |
| Oct. | Bitcoin7 | 50,000 | 5,000 BTC |
| Jun. | MTGOX | 30,000 | 2,000 BTC |
| Sep. | Mooncoin | 22,300 | 4,000 BTC |
| Jul. | Ubitex | 15,575 | 1,138 BTC |
