In the early months of 2025, the world of decentralized applications (DeFi) experienced a decrease in fraudulent incidents, but with unprecedented economic damage: scams are less frequent, but much more sophisticated and destructive.
Let’s see all the details in this article.
The number of scams collapses, but economic damages reach record levels in the DeFi world
The universe of decentralized applications (dApp) continues to evolve, but 2025 marked a radical change in the type of threats affecting the Web3 ecosystem.
While on one hand the overall number of scams is clearly decreasing, on the other hand the economic losses resulting from these attacks have reached figures never seen before.
According to the most recent data, in the first months of 2025, almost 6 billion dollars went up in smoke due to fraudulent activities in the world of dApps.
An enormous figure, made even more impressive when considering that a full 92% of these losses is attributable to a single episode: the Mantra case.
This is one of the most significant individual scams recorded in recent years, which has brought thousands of users to their knees and compromised trust in many new Web3 projects.
If we compare these data with those from the same period in 2024, about three months from the beginning of the year, what emerges is shocking. Twelve months ago, in fact, the total losses generated by rug pull and similar frauds amounted to just 90 million dollars.
The difference between the two years marks a surge of 6.499%: an unequivocal signal of how the quality and impact of scams have evolved, while still remaining numerically lower.
The decrease in the number of attacks and the importance of awareness
In light of these significant damages, there is, however, a countertrend to note: the overall number of attacks has decreased.
In the first months of 2024, there were 21 fraudulent incidents, while in 2025, during the same period, only 7 episodes were recorded, with a 66% decrease in frequency.
This shift highlights a change in the strategy of malicious actors. Instead of conducting many small-scale attacks, they are increasingly focusing on sophisticated, well-planned, and high-impact scams.
The result is an apparently more stable environment but, in reality, much more dangerous for those who do not have adequate verification tools.
This trend highlights a new urgency: the need for real-time updated data and transparent analysis platforms like DappRadar, which allow users to check more consciously the reliability of Web3 projects.
In an ecosystem where a single event is enough to cause billions of dollars in losses, monitoring tools and reliable sources of information are more crucial than ever.
The challenge, therefore, is not only to counter the number of scams, but to prevent the most destructive episodes through greater financial education, widespread use of tracking tools, and strengthening the culture of transparency.
dApps still have enormous potential to innovate sectors such as decentralized finance, blockchain games, the metaverse, and digital identities. However, a more mature ecosystem is needed, capable of distinguishing between reliable projects and fraudulent operations.
In summary, 2025 has shown that the quality of risk has changed. The threats have not disappeared, but have become more intelligent, strategic, and devastating.
It is a wake-up call for the entire sector, which now more than ever must invest in security, transparency, and awareness.