Blockchain security firm CertiK predicts that 2026 will end with 130 crypto attacks and hundreds of millions in losses.
This expectation comes as physical violence against owners of digital assets continues to accelerate.
Encryption key attacks jump 41% in early 2026
The company recorded 34 verifications accidents between January and April, a 41% jump year-on-year. Estimated losses reached approximately $101 million across ransom payments, frozen funds, and failed requests.
“The monthly breakdown shows 13 incidents in January (vs. 9 in January 2025), 5 in February (vs. 6), 10 in March (vs. 7), and 5 in April (vs. 2). “February’s decline reflects the delayed impact of large-scale policing operations conducted across Europe in late January, before a sharp rebound occurred in March,” the report said.
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Europe accounted for 28 of the 34 attacks, up sharply from 39.5%. Out of 2025 total. France alone recorded 24 cases in four months, which exceeds the 20 recorded throughout last year.
French Interior Ministry officials have confirmed 41 incidents of physical assault since January, roughly every two and a half days. Meanwhile, all other regions declined, with North America falling from 9 to 3, and Asia from 25 to 2.
Historically, attackers needed physical observation to identify targets. CertiK now attributes France’s boom to the presence of several leading industrial companies, Sensitive data breachesAnd the culture of disclosing public wealth.
CertiK said that as wallet security and protocol tighten, attackers are migrating towards… The human layer of cryptography economy.
“As long as crypto asset holdings remain tied to specific financial data, physical coercion will remain the most economically rational attack path,” she added.
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