Throughout January 2026, the amount of cryptocurrency stolen through exploits and scams reached $370.3 million.
This data was reported by blockchain security company CertiK via a social media post on January 31. This is a drastic increase from December 2025, when total losses reached $117.8 million.
It also marks the largest total loss in the past 11 months. In February 2025, monthly losses reached $1.5 billion after the Bybit exchange was hacked and lost $1.4 billion.
The largest crypto exploitation case stemmed from an attack on the Truebit protocol, which caused $26.6 million in losses on January 8. In second place was SwapNet, which lost $13.3 million on January 26, followed by an attack on the Saga blockchain that successfully stole $6.2 million on January 21.
These figures may seem large, but of at least 40 crypto scams and exploits throughout January 2026, the majority of cases were phishing, a form of social engineering that aims to trick victims into voluntarily providing sensitive information. Last month, phishing resulted in a total loss of $311 million.
Compared to smart contract exploits, social engineering remains the biggest threat in the crypto landscape. CertiK notes that social engineering stole $284.7 million from victims throughout January 2026.
Choosing secure projects and blockchain is important, but humans are still susceptible to psychological deception. Therefore, crypto owners must have comprehensive security knowledge when conducting crypto transactions. Learn how to trade and invest in crypto safely in the article Crypto Security Tips that Every Beginner Should Know.
