- Wrench attacks surge in 2025 as criminals use violence to steal crypto from individuals.
- Over $2.17B in crypto has been stolen globally in 2025, surpassing 2024’s stolen funds.
- Asia-Pacific experiences rising crypto crimes, while Japan, Korea, and the Philippines are hit hardest.
Crypto holders around the world are facing a sharp rise in violent attacks in 2025. A report from Chainalysis confirms that 35 wrench attacks have occurred so far this year. Asia-Pacific has emerged as one of the most affected regions, with countries like Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines experiencing a steep rise in targeted assaults.
Unlike cyber attacks, wrench attacks happen offline. Criminals directly threaten victims at home or in a public place and force them to expose wallet credentials. Victims report threats, beatings, and even kidnappings. Chainalysis says these cases are increasing with the growing popularity of self-custodied wallets that lack institutional security safeguards.
Bitcoin Boom Fuels Violent Crypto Crimes
The rise in physical crimes is accompanied by a huge price rally of Bitcoin. Bitcoin was reaching a new all-time high in early July, breaking a record of over $123,000. Chainanalysis highlights that this rally has triggered a wave of crimes.
Source: Chainalysis
In the first half of the year 2025, crypto-related crime has resulted in thefts exceeding $2.17 billion. That number is already more than the sum lost in 2024. Chainalysis observes that Bitcoin owners are hit much harder, as the hackers usually target high-value targets.
Asia-Pacific Emerges as Hotspot for Crypto Attacks
Asia-Pacific region is the most impacted zone. It has been marked second in the world for Bitcoin theft and ranked third in terms of Ethereum theft. Japan and South Korea cite incidents of frequent theft of wallets, whereas the Philippines is currently experiencing even more serious excursions with physical damage and kidnapping. Chainalysis cautions that wrench attacks, even though they are relatively low at the moment, are significantly more serious than most digital attacks.
Source: Chainalysis
Outside of Asia-Pacific, the United States, Germany, and Japan report the highest number of victims. Meanwhile, countries like India, Norway, Chile, and the UAE are seeing higher average losses per incident. The global trend indicates that both developed and emerging economies are vulnerable, regardless of location.
Improved security infrastructure at centralized exchanges is one reason criminals are turning toward retail users. Self-custodied wallets are attractive because attackers can potentially gain full control of assets with a single password. Chainalysis adds that the ability to identify crypto holders online—through social media, forums, and NFT platforms—makes them easier targets.
AI-Driven Tactics Escalate Crypto Theft in 2025
Chainalysis also highlights growing attacker sophistication. Criminals are now using AI-driven tools to track, profile, and deceive users. With many retail investors leaving digital footprints, attackers are learning how to exploit online data to plan physical assaults.
Related: BigONE Loses $27M in Hot Wallet Hack, Vows Full Repayment
The CertiK blockchain security firm’s mid-year 2025 reports also back up the numbers. CertiK revealed that in the first half of the year, hacks, scams, and breaches claimed $2.47 billion. The most harmful type of crime alone was the wallet-related attacks, costing a total of $1.7 billion on only 34 incidents.
Phishing attacks are also common, costing more than $410 million in 132 reported cases. Overall, 344 security incidents were recorded by CertiK. It is indicated that two major hacks, Cetus Protocol and Bybit, caused losses of $1.78 billion.
Even without those events, the rest of the $690 million would make the year 2025 one of the most risky for crypto investors. Still a half of the year is awaiting with surprises it is wise for retail traders to protect their personal information.
