Cross-chain bridges have surpassed the traditional mixer as a primary tool for the stolen crypto in early 2025, which is more than $ 1.5 billion in hacked funds. Their speed, liquidity and mild regulatory investigation made them more attractive than a mixer such as tornado cash for the origin of property.
Summary
- In the first half of 2025, Crypto Hax acted at levels, with more than $ 3 billion theft in 119 incidents, Allyady was 50% higher than all 2024.
- Hackers are moving faster than before, often robbing assets through the cross-chain bridge, which completely observed with some theft in a few minutes.
- Centralized exchanges re-recurle the primary cash-out points, which are limited to recovery, most stolen funds are either rapidly looted or lie in waiting for the foreign movement.
The first half of 2025 marked one of the most devastating periods in the history of cryptocurrency hack. Casto for a reaction report by global laser.
Nevertheless, the hell amount of attacks is not just alarm vine. The speed with which hackers Moto stole the funds – often known before theft – has changed the scenario of Crypto crime.
“The attackers are moving rapidly, often the incident is publicly known,” the report said. In one case, the fastest purpose of hacked funds did justice, effectively gave the attackers a head start measured in an eye blink. This rapidity limits the current alert system and the capacity of regulators to intervene before it disappears.
By breaking the deadline, how analysts have handled the stolen property, identified the important pattern in it: how soon they run, how long they live IDL, and which parts of the Crypto ecosystem are the most exploited.
“Knowing the pattern these time can help the death details soon and the window attackers will have to be reduced.
Global account
Bridge Mixer Mixer as Laundering Tools
Perhaps the most important discovery is concerned that hackers used methods used to obscure the origin of stolen crypto. Cross-chain protocol-also known as cross-chain bridges, apparently before the preferred method for the theft crypto.
In the first half of 2025, 50.1%of the property exceeded $ 1.5 billion, or 50.1%, was rooted through bridges. This dwarf was sent to $ 339 million – approximately 11% – Crypto Mixer, which is still used in about half of the cases of hack.
In the form of global laser notes, the functionality of the cross-chain protocol “takes great advantage by illegal actors, making them an important tool to remove stolen funds.” The report suggests that the bridge is liking the mixer, as the preferred laundering tool is “likely to be due to their speed, liquidity and low regulatory investigation.”
Mixers such as tornado cash, which scrambles funds by mixing them with others for breakbility, were on standard to rob the stolen crypto in hack. The bridge, which allows to quickly move assets between various blockchain networks, now provides more rapid movement and provides access to many long petols, making iter for hackers to rapidly pursue large amounts and complains of tracing efforts by law enforcement.
Crypto Exchange remains the main caste points
Another area of insight where the stolen amount eventually descends. About 15 %of the hacked assets- $ 453 million were converted into centralized exchanges, which “preferred to be used for cache-outs,” Elests says. In the contest, decentralized finance platforms received only one third of that amount, about $ 170 million, or 5.6%.
Despite the rapid increase in DEFI use and total value, the report states that the stolen wings made formed by centralized platforms have been made, that, all their Noor Press, DEFI, for DEFI, the protocol has so far suppressed traditional exchanges, which have so far suppressed traditional exchanges, which is a gott-to-dusty or lower-to-dusty property for hackers, which have so far suppressed traditional exchanges, so far. To change.
The report also has a sobing picture regarding recovery recovery. Of the total theft amount, about 13% – $ 379 million – was frozen or burnt, such as, preferring coordinated enforcement acts or safety measures. Meanwhile, only a small portion, 4.6% – approximately $ 140 million – voluntarily returned.
As global laser says, enforcement efforts are having some effects, “but voluntary returns are rare,” emphasizing that most of the recovery still depends on rapid invention, not goodwill. ,
Only one time
An important tech uve is an allergic motion with an attacker. Funds from one in about one in about one were completely looted before any public discus, which was closing the window for law enforcement to track or freeze the property. The fastest full laundering process – the final deposit from the final – was only two minutes and 57 seconds, barely enough time for black.
“Speed has been made a new dangerous weapon,” the report warns, not the quick funds of stolen funds “was 75 times faster than the alerting system.” Once the money starts walking, the scar can go in hours or even minutes. The attackers clearly take advantage of this narrow reaction window: in more than 30% of cases, illegal actors completed the laundering with one day of the first wallet movement.
At the time of reservation of the report, $ 1.6 billion – or 53.6% of the total deficit – rimbed uncpe, which means that these funds are not either motors or their speed has not stopped. The report suggests that some of this amount are “like the process of being in the process of being launched, as the attackers can wait for the heat to die.”