DeFi Exploits Plunge 40% In 2024, But Centralized Exchange Losses Soar – Report

In keeping with a report printed as we speak by blockchain safety agency Hacken, decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols witnessed a steep decline in exploits in 2024, whereas centralized finance (CeFi) platforms greater than doubled their losses on account of safety breaches.

DeFi Platforms Present Higher Safety Mechanisms

In its annual “Web3 Safety Report,” Hacken outlined the final developments within the cryptocurrency trade with regard to scams and safety infrastructure. The report notes that complete losses arising from safety failure in 2024 stood at $2.91 billion.

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DeFi protocols accounted for $474 million in losses this yr, a 40% decline from $787 million in 2023. This sharp drop displays the rising adoption of superior safety methods, similar to zero-knowledge cryptography and multi-party computation, throughout the DeFi ecosystem.

One key issue contributing to the discount in DeFi exploits was the sharp decline in cross-chain bridge hacks. Losses from these assaults have constantly fallen – from $1.89 billion in 2022 to $338 million in 2023, and at last to $114 million in 2024.

In distinction, CeFi platforms, together with cryptocurrency exchanges, reported $694 million in losses in 2024, greater than double the $339 million recorded in 2023. CeFi accounted for practically one-third of all crypto-related incidents, highlighting persistent vulnerabilities in centralized programs.

Gaming and metaverse initiatives have been one other main goal in 2024, liable for practically 20% of all crypto-related hacks, with $389 million in losses. The most important gaming/metaverse breach of the yr was the PlayDapp exploit in Q1 2024, which resulted in a $290 million loss.

Phishing scams additionally remained a major concern, inflicting greater than $600 million in losses this yr. These scams spotlight more and more subtle social engineering techniques within the Web3 area.

In November, the sector confronted a $129 million handle poisoning assault. For context, handle poisoning phishing includes attackers sending small transactions from an handle that carefully resembles one the sufferer has interacted with, tricking them into mistakenly sending funds to the fraudulent handle in future transactions.

Memecoins And Rugpulls Proceed To Prey On Customers

Whereas memecoins have been all the rage for almost all of 2024 – notably on the Solana (SOL) blockchain on account of its low transaction costs – a major proportion of them preyed on buyers by presale scams and celebrity-endorsed rug pulls.

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One notable instance is the Hawk Tuah memecoin, launched by viral influencer Hailey Welch, popularly referred to as “Hawk Tuah Woman”. The coin’s worth plummeted 95% shortly after launch, sparking extreme backlash from the broader Web3 group. 

The rise in memecoin-related scams additionally underscores the necessity for higher investor schooling, notably when partaking with such speculative belongings. At press time, Bitcoin (BTC) trades at $98,921, up 5.8% previously 24 hours.

Featured picture from Unsplash, chart from Tradingview.com