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Coldcard exploit contributes to $247M in July crypto thefts

Created at 7 Aug · 8:11 AM1 source↑ Market-relevant
IN SHORT

July saw $247.4 million in cryptocurrency stolen, making it the second-worst month of 2026 for thefts. The Coldcard exploit accounted for at least $100 million of these losses, highlighting ongoing technological risks in crypto security.

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Key Numbers

$247.4 milliontotal crypto stolen in July
$100 millionminimum losses from Coldcard exploit
7,300wallets affected by Coldcard exploit
$115 millionestimated Coldcard exploit losses by DefiLlama
$644 milliontotal crypto stolen in April
$75 milliontotal crypto stolen in June
$60 milliontotal crypto stolen in May
$9 millionhack against Bonzo Lend
$2.6 millionstolen from SecondFi
$24 millionstolen from AFX
$7.5 millionstolen via Verus Ethereum Bridge

Who's Involved

Coldcard
hardware wallet targeted in major exploit
Galaxy Digital
identified attack waves in Coldcard exploit
DefiLlama
data provider tracking crypto thefts
CryptoRank
research platform commenting on July exploits
Bonzo Lend
decentralized finance protocol hacked
SecondFi
Cardano-based wallet exploited
AFX
Arbitrum-based perpetual exchange hacked
Verus Ethereum Bridge
bridge exploited for funds

↳ Why This Matters

The significant increase in crypto thefts in July, particularly due to the Coldcard exploit, highlights the ongoing security challenges and risks within the digital asset ecosystem, even impacting cold storage solutions and affecting a large number of users simultaneously.

Key facts

  • July saw $247.4 million in cryptocurrency stolen.
  • The Coldcard exploit accounted for at least $100 million in stolen Bitcoin.
  • This makes July the second-worst month of 2026 for crypto thefts.
  • Other exploits in July included hacks on Bonzo Lend, SecondFi, AFX, and the Verus Ethereum Bridge.

July emerged as the second-worst month of 2026 for cryptocurrency thefts, with hackers stealing a total of $247.4 million. This figure represents a significant increase from previous months, more than tripling the $75 million stolen in June and the $60 million stolen in May. The substantial losses in July were largely attributed to the Coldcard exploit, which alone resulted in at least $100 million in Bitcoin being stolen from approximately 7,300 wallets across three confirmed attack waves, according to Galaxy Digital. DefiLlama's hack tracker estimates the losses from this specific exploit at $115 million. The Coldcard incident underscores the persistent technological risks within the cryptocurrency space, even affecting cold storage solutions. Other notable security breaches in July included a $9 million hack against the decentralized finance protocol Bonzo Lend, $2.6 million stolen from the Cardano-based wallet SecondFi, $24 million taken from the Arbitrum-based perpetual exchange AFX, and $7.5 million lost through the Verus Ethereum Bridge.

Frequently asked questions

Hackers stole $247.4 million in cryptocurrency in July.

The Coldcard exploit was the largest, with at least $100 million in Bitcoin stolen.

July's total was more than triple the $75 million stolen in June and the $60 million stolen in May.

Other notable exploits included Bonzo Lend, SecondFi, AFX, and the Verus Ethereum Bridge.

What Happens Next

01Further analysis of the Coldcard exploit's impact and security implications is expected.
02Ongoing monitoring of cryptocurrency theft trends and security breaches will continue.

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How It Developed

July emerged as the second-worst month of 2026 for cryptocurrency thefts.
Hackers stole $247.4 million in crypto in July, the most this year after April.
The total stolen in July was more than triple the amounts stolen in June and May.
The Coldcard exploit was the month's largest exploit, with at least $100 million in Bitcoin stolen.
Galaxy Digital identified three confirmed attack waves and a suspected fourth wave for the Coldcard exploit.
DefiLlama's hack tracker estimates losses tied to the Coldcard exploit at $115 million.
Other notable July exploits included hacks against Bonzo Lend, SecondFi, AFX, and the Verus Ethereum Bridge.

Sources

T1
Coldcard exploit pushes July losses to $247M as second-worst month of 2026The Coldcard exploit, which caused more than $100 million in losses, helped push July crypto thefts to $247 million, making it the second-worst month of 2026.Cointelegraph

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