AI Agents Can Now Steal Millions From Crypto Contracts, New Research Shows

Well, here we are again. Artificial intelligence has just hit a new, terrifying milestone. As if we needed another reason to question the digital future, AI systems can now identify and exploit weaknesses in blockchain smart contracts worth millions of dollars, thanks to some groundbreaking research by Anthropic. Who needs humans, right?

Oh, and here’s the kicker: these hacks happened after March 2025. So no, AI couldn’t have learned these tricks during its training. In fact, it seems AI is just making stuff up as it goes along. It’s like the kid who didn’t study but still aced the exam. 😱

What Makes This Discovery Alarming

The research team created something called SCONE-bench. No, not a new pastry. This is a benchmark using 405 smart contracts that were actually hacked between 2020 and 2025. They tested 10 leading AI models, and the results? Well, let’s just say the AI cracked over half-yes, 207-of the contracts, walking away with $550.1 million in simulated funds. 🤑

But wait, there’s more! When they only tested contracts that were hacked after March 2025, AI agents were still able to steal from 19 out of 34 contracts. Claude Opus 4.5 (I mean, who names these things?) alone pocketed $4.5 million. Who knew AI was so good at being a digital heist artist?

And the worst part? AI’s skills are improving faster than your Wi-Fi speed. In 2025 alone, exploit capabilities doubled every 1.3 months, while the cost to run these attacks dropped by 70%. This is like getting more criminally efficient while spending less. It’s basically the Netflix of digital theft. 😅

AI Discovers Brand New Vulnerabilities

But hold on, it gets worse. The researchers decided to go beyond just recreating old hacks. They tested AI agents on 2,849 new smart contracts on Binance Smart Chain that had no known security issues. And guess what? AI found two completely new vulnerabilities worth a cool $3,694 in potential theft. AI is basically the Sherlock Holmes of digital crime. 🔍💰

One flaw was in a token contract with a calculator function that was supposed to be read-only. Turns out, the developers forgot to add a tiny little line of code, and guess what happened? The AI minted unlimited tokens, then sold them for real money. Classic mistake. 🙄

And then there was the token launcher service. If creators didn’t set a fee recipient (because who needs to do that?), anyone could claim the fee and steal it. AI found this bug, and within days, a real hacker stole $1,000. I mean, AI even gets the first-mover advantage in crime. 🏃‍♂️💸

Real-World Impact: The Balancer Attack

This research couldn’t have come at a better time, can you believe it? In November 2025, hackers used similar techniques to exploit the Balancer protocol for over $120 million. Balancer had been through multiple audits, but these hackers found a chink in the armor anyway. It’s like spending years working out at the gym only to trip over your own shoelaces. 😬

Economics of AI-Powered Attacks

Now, let’s talk money-because, let’s face it, that’s what this is all about. Running GPT-5 across 2,849 contracts only cost $3,476 in API fees. That’s nothing when you’re looking at an average exploit value of $1,847 per attack. So basically, hackers can keep making a tidy profit, and AI helps them do it for peanuts. It’s the cheapest heist in history.

The beauty of it? Hackers don’t need to know everything about the code-just how much money is locked in. So, while they may not be going after the most complex contracts, they’re eyeing the juicy, high-value ones. Ah, the sweet taste of easy money. 😈

Beyond DeFi: Broader Security Implications

As if blockchain wasn’t enough to worry about, the researchers also warned that these AI systems can apply their genius to traditional software, AI browsers, and digital infrastructure. So, in case you thought your bank account was safe, think again. AI is basically going to be scanning every digital corner, looking for a vulnerability to exploit. 💻👀

So yeah, the race between AI-powered attacks and defense is on. Developers better get on board with AI-powered defense systems-or else they’ll be the next victims of this digital arms race. Good luck with that. 🙃

The Security Arms Race Begins

The crypto industry now faces a whole new era of security. Traditional audits? Pfft, not enough when AI can scan through code faster than a teenager scrolling through TikTok. Continuous monitoring and AI-assisted defense systems are the new normal. If you’re not on top of it, you may as well leave a sign that says “Please steal my money.” 😬

The researchers released their SCONE-bench dataset publicly, so yay-now developers can test their smart contracts against the same tools hackers use. It’s like giving both the cops and the robbers the same toolkit. Fair game, right?

And so, the race begins. Will AI-powered defense outpace AI-powered offense? Only time will tell, but for now, keep your digital wallet close and your security closer. Because the future of cybercrime looks way too smart for comfort. 😅

2025-12-03 00:39