CertiK reports about $6.5 billion lost to exploits and phishing in October, taking its 2026 tally to roughly $9.2 billion. Binance's breach of approximately $6.3 billion was the main driver, and the exchange has pledged to cover the stolen funds.
CertiK reported about $6.5 billion lost to exploits and phishing in October, pushing its 2026 total to roughly $9.2 billion. According to CertiK, it was what the firm called the "highest losses on record".
The headline figure measures gross losses. CertiK's live dashboard, updated Oct. 31, lists 89 October incidents and $3.03 billion in frozen or returned funds. That leaves $3.47 billion in adjusted losses.
Binance breach drives October losses
Binance's roughly $6.3 billion breach was the main driver, according to CertiK's October incident graphic. The exchange confirmed that its hot wallets were compromised on Oct. 29, resulting in approximately $6.3 billion in stolen assets.
Blockchain investigator TRM Labs independently traced approximately $6.36 billion in outflows across ten blockchains, valuing transfers at the time of the theft.
October exceeds September and the 2025 total
October far exceeds the $766.4 million September alert, which CertiK had called the year's highest-loss month at the time. These figures come from the firm's monthly alerts, not from later revised dashboard totals.
CertiK's 2025 report summary put that year's losses at about $3.35 billion. October's gross losses alone exceed that figure.
Binance pledges to cover losses
In its Oct. 30 recovery update, Binance said approximately $3 billion had been frozen onchain. It pledged to cover all stolen funds through its Secure Asset Fund for Users and corporate treasury, rather than pass the loss to users.
The exchange said withdrawals were paused while it reviewed and repaired affected systems. It plans to have updated proof-of-reserves results ready by Nov. 2, giving users a new view of platform assets backing their balances.
Source: The Defiant
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