- The crypto market has lost more than $15 billion to hackers, a fifth of which was due to bridge exploits, which Chainlink says emphasizes the need for its cross-chain solution.
- Cross-chain interoperability only works when security is built in, and moves away from centralized single points of failure, the network says.
The crypto market remains a prime target for cybercriminals, who continue to make billions of dollars every year. Cross-chain bridges are among the most vulnerable and according to Chainlink, cross-chain infrastructure is the ultimate solution.
In 2025, hackers stole $2.87 billion in 147 hacks, according to a new report from TRM Labs. While this is the lowest number of hacks in the past four years, the average per incident is the highest in three years at $19.5 million. The Bybit hack in February was by far the largest, with hackers stealing more than $1.4 billion, according to our report.
Cumulatively, hackers have stolen $15.8 billion since 2016, according to data from DeFiLlama. DeFi is the most targeted ecosystem, losing over $7 billion to these criminals. In recent years, cross-chain bridges have once again become a goldmine for hackers, losing $2.89 billion.
Data courtesy of DeFiLlama.
This is where Chainlink can provide a solution, the network says, adding: “Exploits are a problem solved through good architecture and a rigorous security-first approach.”
A cross-chain bridge is a tool that allows users to move crypto assets or data from one chain to another. Although there are dozens of bridges, Wormhole and LayerZero remain among the most popular.
As Chainlink notes, most bridges rely on a single layer of security with a small validator set, one oracle network, and one relayer. This security is weak because validators can be hacked or leak private keys, which would give hackers access to users’ assets.
Defense in depth is the best approach, with “multiple decentralized networks working to secure a single cross-chain transaction,” says Chainlink.
2/ Cross-chain interoperability works best when security is built in.
This means moving away from centralized solutions with a single network and towards deep designs with multiple decentralized networks that work to secure a single cross-chain transaction. pic.twitter.com/2HgMk2GtDZ
— Chainlink (@chainlink) February 2, 2026
Chainlink’s CCIP sets an industry standard
The Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) remains the industry standard for cross-chain messaging, Chainlink says. CCIP is the only deep solution that provides multiple decentralized oracle networks to verify the cross-chain messages. If one oracle is compromised or sends the wrong data, the others can block it.
CCIP also offers configurable speed limits and circuit breakers that can pause a transfer midway if something goes wrong. Other solutions address the suspicious activity only after the damage has been done.
Image courtesy of Chainlink.
Chainlink’s infrastructure has already been put to the test and is used to secure most high-profile exchanges, DeFi platforms, and crypto services. As we reported, it has enabled the movement of more than $27 trillion and passed 19 billion messages for more than 2,500 projects.
LINK is trading on $9.58to lose 19.2% in the past week for a market cap of $6.78 billion