Dragonfly’s managing partner Haseeb Qureshi argues that fears of an AI-driven wave of DeFi hacks were unfounded, citing declining median hack sizes and fewer value stolen in 2026 compared to 2025.
In a recent statement, Dragonfly Capital's managing partner Haseeb Qureshi dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) would trigger a catastrophic wave of decentralized finance (DeFi) hacks. According to Qureshi, the number of incidents has increased but their median size has significantly decreased below $500,000 this year from over $2 million in 2025.
Qureshi explained that while AI is indeed identifying more smart contract vulnerabilities, malicious actors are focusing on smaller protocols and abandoned projects. Larger DeFi platforms have implemented stronger security measures to counter the threat posed by AI-driven hacking attempts. Excluding large outliers like February 2025's Bybit hack and April 2026’s KelpDAO and Drift Protocol exploits, total value stolen per month has actually declined compared to the previous year.
These findings come in contrast with broader industry data from blockchain security firm CertiK. Despite a significant drop of 46.8% in crypto hacks' dollar value to $1.32 billion for the first half of 2026, this does not necessarily indicate an improvement in overall safety within the Web3 ecosystem. The largest single incident was attributed to North Korean state-sponsored hackers through KelpDAO and Drift Protocol exploits.
CertiK's data highlights ongoing threats from sophisticated adversaries like North Korea, which has stolen over $6 billion worth of cryptocurrency since 2017, according to TRM Labs' estimates. This underscores the need for continuous vigilance and robust security measures in DeFi protocols despite AI-driven hacking fears not materializing as expected.
For traders, this development suggests that while some smaller projects remain vulnerable, major DeFi platforms are becoming more resilient against AI threats. However, given ongoing risks from well-funded adversaries like North Korea, it is crucial to stay informed about evolving security trends and maintain a cautious approach in trading.
Source: Cointelegraph. Summarized and rewritten by the Vexoda Newsroom. This is market news, not financial advice.