Top 10 CEX Hacks in Crypto History
From the first hack at Mt. Gox in 2011 to the Bybit event in 2025, we review the top 10 centralized exchange (CEX) hacks in cryptocurrency history, revealing industry security challenges and evolution.
Event Timeline
Mt. Gox: 2014 Hacking, 460 Million BTC Stolen
Mt. Gox was hacked again, with 460 million bitcoins stolen, becoming one of the first major hacking cases in Bitcoin history.
Coincheck: 2018 Hacking, 534 Million NEM Stolen
Hackers infiltrated hot wallets through phishing and malicious software, freezing Bybit's business, and Japanese authorities investigated.
BitGrail: 2018 Hacking, 170 Million Nano Stolen
BitGrail was hacked, with 17 million Nano stolen, and the founder was ordered to repay customer losses.
CoinBene: 2019 Hacking, 105 Million ETH Stolen
1.05 billion ETH were stolen from CoinBene, with the official not admitting to any hacking, and the assets flowed to multiple exchanges.
KuCoin: 2020 Hacking, 281 Million Cryptocurrency Stolen
Multiple wallet keys were stolen from KuCoin, resulting in a loss of $281 million, with $204 million recovered within weeks.
BitMart: 2021 Hacking, 196 Million Cryptocurrency Stolen
Two hot wallet private keys were leaked from BitMart, resulting in a loss of $196 million in ETH and BSC assets.
FTX: 2022 Crash Hacking, 477 Million Cryptocurrency Stolen
Suspected internal hacking at FTX led to the theft of various cryptocurrencies, valued at $477 million.
DMM Bitcoin: 2024 Hacking, 308 Million BTC Stolen
4,502.9 BTC stolen from DMM Bitcoin hot wallet, suspected to be from Lazarus Group of North Korea, then announced business transfer.
WazirX: 2024 Hacking, 230 Million Cryptocurrency Stolen
The main wallet of India's largest CEX WazirX was hacked, resulting in a loss of approximately 50% of assets, causing industry turmoil.
Bybit: 2025 Hacking, 1.4 Billion ETH Stolen
Bybit hot wallet private key leak, 400,000 ETH stolen, becoming the largest single cryptocurrency theft case in history. FBI accused North Korean hackers.