Crypto exploits led to an estimated $244.1 million in losses in May 2025, according to blockchain security company PeckShield. That is 39.29% less than the astronomical figures in April due to improved network coordination to recover huge quantities of stolen assets.
Sui and Cetus Freeze $157M After $220M Exploit
The largest hack of the month came from the Cetus Protocol, which was hacked for $220 million. The attackers exploited a bug within the most significant bits check, allowing liquidity parameters to be manipulated to create gargantuan positions with little effort.
In a rare story of success, Sui validators collaborated with Cetus Protocol to freeze $157 million—approximately 71% of the loot—underlining the effectiveness of defensive coordination in blockchain platforms.
Other Major May Incidents
Following the Cetus exploit, other notable incidents include:
- Cork Protocol: Lost $12 million
- Suspected North Korean Attack: Led to $5.2 million loss
- MBU Token Exploit: Resulted in $2.2 million stolen
- MapleStory Universe Breach: Resulted in $1.2 million
These alone represented about 20 major hacks for the month.
May Losses Better Than 2025’s Early Trends
Despite the huge losses, May’s statistics reflect a comparative improvement in the security situation throughout the year. The start of 2025 logged over $1.63 billion lost in crypto, with February only logging $1.53 billion due to a disastrous Bybit attack.
Relative to this, May’s lower figure and higher recovery rate indicate that incident response and prevention are gaining ground in blockchain.
