Ethereum Hacks Explained: Over 5 Million ETH Stolen — Who Holds It Now?

Introduction: Ethereum’s Biggest Vulnerability Is Its Success

Ethereum powers the future of finance — but it’s also a hacker’s playground.

From 2016 to 2025, cybercriminals have stolen over 5 million ETH, worth tens of billions of dollars. These attacks targeted DeFi protocols, bridges, exchanges, and even Ethereum smart contracts.

And here’s the shocking part: Hundreds of thousands of ETH are still sitting in hacker wallets today, untouched, traceable, and monitored.

In this article, we dive into:

• The biggest Ethereum hacks of all time

• How much ETH was stolen

• Real hacker Ethereum wallet addresses

• Who’s behind the attacks (hint: think North Korea)

Let’s get into it.

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Total Ethereum Stolen to Date

Over the past decade, Ethereum has become one of the most hacked blockchains. The numbers are staggering:

👉  Total Ethereum stolen: Over 5 million ETH

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Top Hacker Ethereum Wallets Still Holding Funds

Let’s break down the biggest active wallets still holding stolen ETH today.

1. Parity Multisig Wallet Hack

• ETH stolen: 150,000

• Currently holding: ~83,000 ETH

• Wallet address: 0x59abf3837fa962d6853b4cc0a19513aa031fd32b

• Details: Funds stolen in 2017, still mostly untouched.

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2. FTX Drainer Wallet (2022)

• ETH stolen: ~228,000

• Currently holding: Significant ETH + some swapped to BTC

• Wallet address: Same as above

• Details: Possibly reused by the same attacker or linked criminal group.

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3. Bybit Exchange Hack (2025)

• ETH stolen: 401,347

• Currently holding: Over 250,000 ETH

• Wallet address: 0x47666fab8bd0ac7003bce3f5c3585383f09486e2

• Status: The funds remain untouched — possibly frozen or under surveillance.

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4. Upbit Hack (2019)

• ETH stolen: 342,000

• Currently holding: Laundered via fake exchanges

• Wallet address: 0xa09871AEadF4994Ca12f5c0b6056BBd1d343c029

• Status: Funds dispersed, no large balance remains.

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5. Ronin Bridge (Axie Infinity, 2022)

• ETH stolen: 173,600

• Wallet address: 0x098b716b8aaf21512996dc57eb0615e2383e2f96

• Status: Most ETH laundered through Tornado Cash.

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6. Harmony Bridge Exploit (2022)

• ETH stolen: ~85,000

• Wallet address: 0x0d0431

• Status: Fully mixed and unrecoverable.

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Timeline of Major Ethereum Exploits

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Who’s Behind These Ethereum Hacks?

Many of these Ethereum bridge hacks and exchange exploits are linked to the Lazarus Group, a North Korean cybercriminal team. Authorities have confirmed their involvement in:

• Ronin Bridge

• Harmony Horizon Bridge

• Upbit Hack

• Bybit Exchange Hack

The Lazarus Group is known for laundering stolen ETH through:

• Tornado Cash

• Bridges

• Fake exchanges

• Cross-chain swaps (ETH → BTC)

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Can Stolen ETH Be Recovered?

Sometimes, but rarely.

✅ The DAO — Forked to recover
✅ Wormhole — White-hat clawback
✅ Euler Finance — Hacker returned funds

❌ Most other stolen ETH has been swapped, mixed, or lost forever.

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Key Takeaways

• Ethereum hacks have led to the theft of 5M+ ETH

• Multiple Ethereum hacker wallets are still active

• Lazarus Group remains the most dangerous actor in the ecosystem

• Most stolen ETH is not recovered

• On-chain transparency allows us to track these wallets in real time

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FAQs

1. How much Ethereum has been stolen so far?

Over 5 million ETH has been stolen in various hacks since 2015.

2. Are hacker Ethereum wallets traceable?

Yes. Most are publicly visible on block explorers like Etherscan and flagged as suspicious.

3. What are the biggest Ethereum hacks?

The DAO (3.6M ETH), Bybit (401K ETH), and FTX Drainer (228K ETH) top the list.

4. Can stolen ETH be recovered?

Rarely. Some funds were recovered (like Wormhole or Euler), but most are laundered quickly.

5. Who is behind these hacks?

Many attacks are attributed to the Lazarus Group, a North Korea-backed cybercrime team.