State-Backed Actors Drive Record Onchain Theft
Advanced persistent threat (APT) groups from various nations moved away from traditional hacking to focus almost exclusively on decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. These state-linked organizations successfully drained billions from cross-chain bridges, using sophisticated “chain-hopping” techniques to obscure the trail of stolen funds. Data indicates that the volume of state-sponsored crypto theft increased by 45% compared to the previous year. By utilizing high-speed automated scripts, these actors can execute large-scale liquidations before security teams can freeze the affected wallets.
Market analysts note that the rise in crypto crime is directly linked to the increased adoption of privacy-preserving technologies by malicious entities. While legitimate users use these tools for confidentiality, criminal syndicates leverage them to wash illicit gains into “clean” assets. Despite improved monitoring by centralized exchanges, the decentralized nature of the ecosystem remains a primary target for exploitation. Currently, over 60% of all stolen funds in 2025 passed through mixers or decentralized exchanges (DEXs) to break the link to the original crime.
Chainalysis Reveals New Money Laundering Tactics
The transition toward more complex onchain laundering schemes has forced law enforcement agencies to adopt AI-driven tracking software. According to Chainalysis, the sheer scale of the $150 billion figure includes everything from ransomware payments to large-scale investment scams. “We are seeing a professionalization of crypto crime where state actors provide the infrastructure for smaller criminal groups to operate,” a lead researcher noted in the report. This collaboration allows for faster movement of capital across borders, often ending in jurisdictions with minimal financial oversight.
Total losses from ransomware alone topped $2.5 billion, as attackers shifted their focus toward critical infrastructure and healthcare systems. These groups now demand payments in privacy coins or through complex smart contracts that automatically distribute funds to hundreds of secondary wallets. Regulatory bodies are now pushing for stricter “Know Your Customer” (KYC) requirements for DeFi developers to mitigate these risks. As the industry moves further into 2026, the battle between blockchain forensic experts and state-backed hackers is expected to intensify, with billions of dollars in global financial stability at stake.
