Treasury turns to crypto in cyber defense amid rising hacks

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection (OCCIP) announced that it is working on a new strategy to protect the digital asset ecosystem. 

Its program aims to provide eligible U.S. crypto companies and organizations with real-time security data to stop hacker attacks and protect user accounts. The announcement, however, doesn’t fully explain what makes a company “eligible,” but those that fit the bill can tap into the same security resources that traditional banks use. Companies interested in the service were asked to contact the office directly.

Under the initiative, crypto firms will gain access to government-led threat intelligence-sharing programs. The move aims to help digital asset platforms better defend against a growing wave of cyberattacks while also strengthening the broader financial system’s resilience.

The policy change comes amid a sharp rise in crypto-related hacks and fraud. In 2025 alone, illicit actors stole nearly $2.9 billion across roughly 150 incidents, with attackers increasingly targeting wallets, private keys, and operational infrastructure rather than just smart contracts. Recent events underscore the urgency. A major exploit in 2026 involved the Drift protocol, highlighting the scale and sophistication of modern attacks. Meanwhile, global cybercrime losses hit $17.6 billion last year, with crypto-related investment scams accounting for a significant share.

Treasury officials expect the initiative to boost cybersecurity significantly

Treasury officials increasingly view the crypto sector as a critical component of the financial system. The inclusion of digital asset firms in intelligence-sharing networks reflects concerns that vulnerabilities in crypto infrastructure could spill over into traditional markets.

In the OCCIP press release, Cory Wilson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity, noted that attacks on digital asset platforms have become more common and more sophisticated. That said, even in its earliest stages, the digital asset industry has struggled with frequent security breaches. Major cyberattacks occur almost monthly, resulting in heavy losses of capital and sensitive data.

Just last week, cybercriminals tied to North Korea drained more than $280 million from the decentralized exchange Drift. Moreover, in late March, over $3.6 million was taken from the crypto ATM firm Bitcoin Depot in a cyberattack. Chainalysis’s annual report also showed that crypto platforms lost more than $3.4 billion to theft in the past year.

Nonetheless, Wilson anticipates that the new program will reduce cybersecurity threats, opening a stream of useful cyber intelligence that will help digital asset businesses lock down their systems and respond more quickly to attacks.

Tyler Williams, Counselor to the Secretary for Digital Assets, also commented, “As digital assets become more integrated into the financial system, access to timely and actionable cyber threat information is essential to protecting consumers and safeguarding the stability of U.S. financial markets.”

He added that the new initiative aligns with the GENIUS Act by encouraging safe innovation that prioritizes strong digital defenses and business continuity. Ideally, the initiative fulfills a recommendation from the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets report published last year to support the responsible growth and use of digital assets.

Luke Pettit, Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions, also shared: “Digital asset firms are an increasingly important part of the U.S. financial sector, and their resilience is critical to the health of the broader system. By extending access to the same high-quality cybersecurity information used by traditional financial institutions, Treasury is helping promote a more secure and responsible digital asset ecosystem.”

The U.S. Treasury agreed to partner with the UAE on cybersecurity

This is not the first time the U.S. Department of the Treasury has tried to curb cyber attacks. Back in 2023, under the Biden administration, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Cyber Security Council of the United Arab Emirates on Cybersecurity Cooperation.

At the time, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo noted that joint action is critical to protecting the global economy from cyber threats, adding that he looks forward to building a broader alliance with the UAE. The bilateral partnership guaranteed data sharing on active threats, joint staff training programs, and collaborative cross-border cyber exercises.

Prior to this, the two nations established a partnership in 2021 to protect critical financial infrastructure and agreed that closer cyber cooperation was vital to securing global markets.

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