Cryptocurrency attack losses plummeted 60% in December, but that doesn't mean your wallet is safer.

According to the latest news, the total loss caused by cryptocurrency attack incidents in December 2025 is approximately $76 million, a significant decrease of over 60% compared to $194.27 million in November. This figure looks optimistic, but a deeper analysis reveals some issues that warrant caution.

The True Picture of December Attack Incidents

Blockchain security firm PeckShield detected about 26 major cryptocurrency attack incidents in December. Although the total loss has decreased, this does not mean that security risks have disappeared; rather, their distribution has changed.

The two most serious incidents

These two incidents account for the majority of the total loss, with address poisoning scams being particularly noteworthy. The attacker’s method may seem simple, but it caused the largest single loss.

Other Major Attack Incidents

• babur.sol project: $22 million
• Trust Wallet (browser extension vulnerability): $8.5 million
• Unleash Protocol (on Story Protocol): $3.9 million
• Flow Protocol: $3.9 million

Why Did December’s Attack Losses Decrease Despite the Drop?

This is worth pondering. The 60% month-over-month decline may be due to several reasons:

• Year-end fund flow changes: December is usually a slow trading season in the crypto market, and user activity may decline
• Increased security awareness: After the large-scale attacks in November, users may have become more vigilant
• Fewer high-value targets: Wallets holding large assets may have strengthened their defenses

But this does not mean the risks have disappeared; rather, their forms may be shifting.

The Two Most Common Attack Methods

Address Poisoning Scam

This is the most serious attack type in December. The process is simple:

1. The attacker sends a small amount of cryptocurrency to the victim
2. The transaction record shows the attacker’s address
3. The victim copies this “recently transacted address” to make a transfer
4. Funds are transferred to the attacker’s address

The danger of this scam lies in its reliance on user negligence, with very low technical difficulty.

Private Key Leak

The theft of private keys from multi-signature wallets resulting in a loss of $27.3 million. This usually indicates:

• Vulnerabilities in private key management
• Successful social engineering attacks
• Or internal personnel leaks

What Should Users Do

Based on relevant information, here are some practical protective suggestions:

• Use hardware wallets: Widely regarded as the safest way to store crypto assets, as private keys never touch the internet
• Carefully verify addresses: Check every character of the target address before transferring; this can completely prevent address poisoning scams
• Reduce use of online wallets: Browser extension wallets are more vulnerable due to continuous internet connection
• Be cautious with multi-signature wallets: Ensure private keys are stored separately to avoid centralized management

Summary

The 60% decline in December crypto attack losses is indeed good news, but it should not make us relax our vigilance. Address poisoning and private key leaks remain the biggest threats. Both can be avoided through cautious user operations and proper tool choices.

True security does not come from market fluctuations but from each user’s awareness of protection. In the realm of crypto asset security, there is no 100% guarantee—only better habits.