November’s $363 million Crypto Heist
The crypto space is a dynamic and exciting domain, fraught with risks and challenges. In November 2023, the industry witnessed a massive surge in hacks and frauds, resulting in staggering losses of over $343 million. This blog post aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the November 2023 crypto space hacks, exploring the factors behind the spike, the sectors and platforms affected, and the implications for the future of crypto security.
The analysis is based on the data and reports from Immunefi, a leading bug bounty platform that connects ethical hackers with crypto projects to find and fix vulnerabilities. They have published comprehensive reports on the November 2023 crypto space hacks, which can be accessed here.

Overview of November 2023
Total Losses and Monthly Surge
In November 2023, the total losses in the cryptocurrency space amounted to $343,038,810. This represented a significant surge from the previous month, with losses increasing by a factor of 15.4 compared to October.
The majority of these losses were due to hacking incidents, which accounted for 97.8% of the total losses. Fraudulent activities, while less prevalent, still contributed to 2.2% of the losses.
When we look at the dynamics between centralized finance (CeFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, it’s clear that both faced substantial challenges. In terms of the platforms affected, centralized finance (CeFi) platforms bore the brunt of the losses, accounting for 53.8% ~$184 million of the total. Decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms were not far behind, representing 46.2% of the losses with ~$158.6 million lost over 37 incidents.
BNB Chain and Ethereum were the primary targets, accounting for a combined 83% of the total losses. BNB Chain was hit the hardest with 22 separate incidents, making up 53.7% of the losses. Ethereum, on the other hand, saw 12 attacks which accounted for 29.3% of the exploited funds. Other chains, including Arbitrum, Optimism, Avalanche, Fantom, and Heco Chain, were not spared and also fell victim to various incidents.

Major Hacks in November 2023
Poloniex
In the second week of November 2023, Poloniex, a well-known cryptocurrency exchange, experienced a significant security breach. The attackers managed to exploit a weakness in the exchange’s hot wallet infrastructure, leading to losses of over $100 million. The incident was likely due to a compromise of a private key. Following the detection of suspicious outflows, the Poloniex team promptly disabled the wallet. Despite the substantial loss, Poloniex reassured its users that it remains in a healthy financial position and is actively seeking collaborations with other exchanges to recover the lost funds.
HTX/Heco Bridge
Also in November 2023, the HTX exchange and Heco Chain, two cryptocurrency platforms associated with renowned entrepreneur Justin Sun, fell victim to hackers. The attackers managed to drain an estimated $30 million worth of cryptocurrencies from HTX and a whopping $85.4 million from the Heco Chain. The stolen assets were systematically funnelled to a central address linked to the hacker. The hacker then proceeded to convert these assets into Ethereum, strategically distributing them across various addresses to obfuscate their trail.
KyberSwap
KyberSwap, a decentralized exchange (DEX), was attacked for nearly $50 million. The attacker drained funds mostly in Ether, wrapped ether (wETH), and USDC. The attacker hit multiple cross-chain deployments of KyberSwap, taking over $20 million on Arbitrum, $15 million from Optimism, and $7 million from Ethereum.
Kronos Research
Kronos Research, a trading firm operating in the crypto space, suffered a hack in November 2023, resulting in the loss of an estimated $26 million. The attacker targeted the organization’s API keys. API keys are another form of authentication factor used with an application programming interface (APIs). If an attacker can gain access to this private key, they can send tokens from it to an attacker-controlled wallet.
In-Depth Analysis
Hacks Breakdown
Total Hacks: 18
Total Losses from Hacks: $335,574,150
In November 2023, there were 18 distinct hacking incidents in the cryptocurrency space, leading to substantial losses totalling $335,574,150. These incidents varied in their complexity and scale, involving different types of entities, from individual wallets to large exchanges. The methods used by the hackers ranged from phishing attacks to exploiting vulnerabilities in smart contracts. This figure underscores the persistent and evolving threat posed by hackers within the cryptocurrency space.
Fraud Breakdown
Total Fraud Incidents: 23
Total Losses from Fraud: $7,464,660
While fraud incidents were less financially damaging than hacks, they still accounted for 23 incidents and $7,464,660 in losses during November 2023. These incidents involved a variety of fraudulent activities, including Ponzi schemes, fake ICOs, and scam coins. The tactics employed by fraudsters have evolved, becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect.
Defi vs. CeFi Analysis
Defi Losses: $158,638,810
Decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms experienced 37 incidents in November 2023, leading to losses of $158,638,810. These incidents targeted a variety of DeFi platforms and exploited a range of vulnerabilities, from smart contract bugs to flash loan attacks. Understanding the specific platforms targeted and the vulnerabilities exploited is critical to strengthening the security of this rapidly growing domain.
CeFi Losses: $184,400,000
Centralized finance (CeFi) platforms, on the other hand, experienced four high-impact incidents, resulting in $184,400,000 in losses. These incidents highlighted the unique challenges faced by centralized platforms, such as the need for robust security measures to protect user funds and the importance of regulatory compliance to prevent financial crimes. These events underscore the need for ongoing vigilance and investment in security measures within the CeFi space.
Losses by Chain
BNB Chain: 22 Incidents, 53.7% Loss
The BNB Chain, a prominent blockchain network, experienced 22 incidents in November 2023, accounting for 53.7% of the total losses. This high percentage indicates that the BNB Chain was a particularly attractive target for attackers.
Ethereum: 12 Incidents, 29.3% Loss
Ethereum, the most widely used blockchain network, suffered 12 incidents, resulting in 29.3% of the total losses. While the number of incidents was lower than on the BNB Chain, the financial impact was still substantial.
Other Chains: 7.3% Loss
Other blockchain networks, including Arbitrum, Optimism, Avalanche, Fantom, and Heco Chain, collectively experienced a total loss of 7.3%. While the individual losses on these chains were lower, they still contribute to the overall picture of crypto security risks.
Crypto Losses YTD
Total Losses YTD: $1,753,707,812
In the year 2023, the total losses in the cryptocurrency space amounted to a staggering $1,753,707,812. This figure includes losses from various incidents such as hacks, frauds, and other security breaches across both decentralized and centralized finance platforms.
The month with the highest number of crypto hacks was November, with significant losses incurred. However, September was also a notable month for crypto-related exploits with a staggering $340 million followed by July and March.
As for the chains affected by these hacks, BNB Chain and Ethereum were the two most targeted chains in 2023. Other chains such as Arbitrum, Polygon, and Optimism also experienced incidents.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the analysis of the November 2023 crypto space hacks paints a stark picture of the challenges facing the industry. As the ecosystem grapples with evolving threats, the role of platforms like Immunefi becomes crucial in fortifying defences and safeguarding user funds. The insights gleaned from this analysis should serve as a call to action for continuous vigilance and proactive measures to enhance the security posture of the crypto space.
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