Bybit Says It Prevented $700M in Crypto Thefts Using AI

Bybit has turned to artificial intelligence (AI) tools to beef up its security measures after the jarring $1.5 billion hack it suffered in 2025. The company intercepted multiple crypto theft attempts in the first half of 2026, saving $700 million worth of digital assets for its customers.

Bybit bolsters security architecture with AI, records massive progress

According to a press release, Bybit says its advanced AI security architecture has seen it smother the activities of bad actors targeting the platform. In its H1 2026 Risk & Security Report, Bybit noted that its model enables it to detect threats earlier and remain nimble amid rising cybersecurity threats.

Right off the bat, the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by market capitalization confirmed that it prevented the theft of $700 million worth of digital assets in H1 2026. Armed with new AI tools, Bybit blocked over 30,000 suspicious withdrawal requests, protecting nearly 20,000 users from bad actors.

Bybit added that it also processed over 100,000 security alerts and resolved 10 token-project security incidents in the period under review. Per Bybit’s numbers, the average initial risk review time for each incident was 4.7 minutes, a feat previously unattainable without AI tools.

Source: Bybit

Furthermore, the cryptocurrency exchange seized the initiative to blacklist over 10,000 malicious addresses and identified over $212 million in potential fraud-linked on-chain funds. Bybit also expanded monitoring to the broader blockchain, scanning listed token contracts and wallets for potential vulnerabilities.

“Using AI to strengthen our security and risk-control capabilities, while securing the AI systems themselves, is our top priority, with human judgement remaining at the center of critical security decisions."

Bybit pulls all levers to protect user funds amid emerging threats

Bybit’s pivot toward an AI-focused security architecture comes after the exchange suffered a $1.5 billion hack in early 2025. While a post-mortem pointed to North Korea-backed hacking syndicates, Bybit's latest report revealed it is pursuing legal action against Lazarus Group to recover the stolen funds.

“For Bybit, the broader security objective is to make attacks harder to execute and less profitable,” read the statement.

While Bybit made keen progress in H1 2026, the cryptocurrency ecosystem endured the most hacks within the same window. Experts have pointed to AI tools in the hands of bad actors as a trigger for the surge in crypto security incidents.

The rest of the industry is catching on, turning to AI to protect critical infrastructure and identify vulnerabilities. Already, the Bitcoin Red Team has identified a raft of vulnerabilities using AI in the aftermath of the jarring Coldcard hack.