Coldcard exploit pushes July losses to $247M as second-worst month of 2026

cointelegraphPublished on 2026-08-07Last updated on 2026-08-07

Abstract

July 2026 was the second-worst month of the year for cryptocurrency thefts, with hackers stealing $247.4 million. This surge was primarily driven by the Coldcard exploit, which involved multiple attack waves resulting in losses estimated between $100 million and $130 million in Bitcoin from thousands of wallets. This incident highlighted that even cold storage carries significant technological risks. Other major July hacks included attacks on Bonzo Lend ($9M), SecondFi ($2.6M), AFX ($24M), and the Verus Ethereum Bridge ($7.5M).

July emerged as the second-worst month of 2026 for cryptocurrency thefts, largely due to the recent Coldcard exploit.

Hackers stole $247.4 million in crypto in July, the most this year after the $644 million stolen in April, according to DefiLlama data. The total was more than triple the $75 million stolen in June and the $60 million stolen in May.

The Coldcard exploit was the month’s biggest exploit, with at least $100 million in Bitcoin (BTC) stolen from 7,300 wallets across three confirmed attack waves, according to Galaxy Digital. The company also identified a suspected fourth wave that could bring total losses to about $130 million. DefiLlama’s hack tracker estimates losses tied to the Coldcard exploit at $115 million.

“July showed that even cold storage does not eliminate technological risks, which can put thousands of wallets at risk simultaneously,” research platform CryptoRank said in a Thursday X post.

Other notable July exploits included a $9 million hack against decentralized finance protocol Bonzo Lend, $2.6 million stolen from Cardano-based wallet SecondFi, $24 million stolen from Arbitrum-based perpetual exchange AFX and $7.5 million stolen through the Verus Ethereum Bridge.

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Related Questions

QAccording to the article, what made July 2026 the second-worst month for cryptocurrency thefts?

AJuly 2026 became the second-worst month for cryptocurrency thefts largely due to the recent Coldcard exploit, which was the month's biggest exploit.

QHow much cryptocurrency was stolen in July 2026, and how does this compare to the thefts in May and June of the same year?

AHackers stole $247.4 million in crypto in July 2026. This total was more than triple the $75 million stolen in June and the $60 million stolen in May.

QWhat was the estimated loss range from the Coldcard exploit according to the information provided by Galaxy Digital?

AAccording to Galaxy Digital, the Coldcard exploit resulted in at least $100 million stolen from 7,300 wallets across three confirmed attack waves, with a suspected fourth wave potentially bringing total losses to about $130 million.

QWhat point did research platform CryptoRank make about the Coldcard exploit in their statement?

ACryptoRank stated that the July exploits showed that even cold storage does not eliminate technological risks, which can put thousands of wallets at risk simultaneously.

QBesides the Coldcard exploit, name two other significant hacks that occurred in July 2026 as mentioned in the article.

ATwo other significant July 2026 exploits mentioned are: a $9 million hack against decentralized finance protocol Bonzo Lend, and a $24 million theft from Arbitrum-based perpetual exchange AFX.

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