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AI-driven DeFi hack fears cool as attack pace eases
CertiK data shows Web3 protocols lost more than $1.3 billion across 344 security incidents in the first half of 2026, even as the hacked dollar rate and median hack size decline.
Cointelegraph reports that after a string of high-profile crypto hacks in April that sparked fears of widespread AI-enabled exploitation, parts of the industry say the worst-case DeFi “hackpocalypse” narrative is overstated for now. Dragonfly managing partner Haseeb Qureshi argued the fear is a “false alarm,” pointing to a lower year-to-date rate of hacked dollars per month and a declining median hack size, even when including April’s large incidents.
Still, security experts caution that the risk may be evolving rather than disappearing. Cointelegraph cites Hacken offensive security engineer Stephen Ajayi, who said AI has not yet replaced compromised keys, weak infrastructure, and human error as primary causes of Web3 losses, but he added that “not dominant yet” does not mean “not coming,” with the capability curve catching up quickly.
CertiK’s first-half 2026 reporting provides additional context on the scale of losses. According to CertiK, Web3 protocols lost more than $1.3 billion across 344 security incidents in the first half of 2026, though CertiK said it is difficult to prove whether AI was used to identify or assist exploits.
Cointelegraph also reports that CertiK’s investigation looked for circumstantial indicators, including changes in attacker behavior, and noted increased exploitation of older smart contracts and unverified contracts. Its report found 73 code vulnerability incidents were deployed for at least a year before being exploited in the first half of 2026, versus 45 for all of 2025, suggesting AI may help attackers analyze far more code than before.