CertiK Report: Physical Attacks on Crypto Holders Surge 75% in 2025, Causing Over $40.9M in Losses

According to a ChainCatcher report citing Decrypt, the latest report from blockchain security firm CertiK reveals a surge in physical attacks (i.e., "brute-force attacks") targeting cryptocurrency holders in 2025. A total of 72 attacks were recorded throughout the year, representing a 75% year-over-year increase and resulting in losses exceeding $40.9 million. The report states that such attacks have evolved from a marginal risk to a structural threat, with kidnapping being the most common method. Incidents of physical assault have surged by 250% year-over-year. The geographic distribution of attacks has also shifted significantly: Europe has become the most affected region, accounting for over 40% of global incidents, with France recording the highest number at 19 cases. The U.S. share dropped sharply from 36.6% in 2024 to 12.5%, while Asia remains a high-risk area, accounting for approximately 33.3% of incidents. CertiK recommends that individual users adopt defensive strategies such as setting up decoy wallets, geographically isolating mnemonic phrases from hardware wallets, and reducing public cryptocurrency footprints. Institutions and high-net-worth individuals should consider implementing multi-signature wallet architectures, setting up time-locked smart contracts, and establishing executive protection protocols.