CertiK Report: Wrench Attacks Surge Nearly 12x in Losses, “Operational Security” Becomes New Core of Prevention

Odaily Odaily News, July 22nd - Web3 security firm CertiK released its "H1 2026 Wrench Attack Report." The report indicates that a total of 52 publicly verified wrench attacks were recorded globally in the first half of 2026, a year-over-year increase of 33.3%; related losses amounted to approximately $124 million, an increase of about 11.8 times compared to the same period last year.

The report notes that attackers are shifting from exploiting technical vulnerabilities to targeting asset holders and their real-world social networks. Home invasion incidents increased from 1 case in H1 2025 to 20 cases, accounting for 41% of the total incidents in the period. Europe has become a high-incidence area for attacks, with 33 cases occurring in France alone, representing 63.5% of the global total.

CertiK stated that as real-world risks become a significant challenge for digital asset security, enterprises and high-net-worth individuals need to establish more comprehensive protection systems. CertiK has launched operational security services to help identify exposure risks related to identity, family, residence, and travel routes. Simultaneously, through the CertiK Security Workspace, it correlates off-chain intelligence, on-chain transactions, and AML risk signals to support institutions in tracking and analyzing cybercrime activities. Furthermore, CertiK is strengthening cooperation with international law enforcement agencies such as Interpol and Europol, providing technical support for cross-border attack investigations and security policy research.