Fears that artificial intelligence would trigger an avalanche of hacks in the decentralized finance sector have not materialized. As a market analyst, I closely monitor cybersecurity trends, and current data points to the opposite dynamic: despite a record number of incidents, the median damage from attacks in 2026 has dropped to $500,000 — compared to $2 million a year earlier. This suggests that the scale of the threat has shifted toward smaller targets.
According to my analysis, attackers using AI are primarily targeting small or abandoned projects. Major DeFi protocols, having recognized the risks, have significantly strengthened their defense mechanisms: implementing advanced monitoring systems, automated audits, and multi-layered smart contract checks. This has created a barrier that AI-powered hackers have yet to overcome on a scale capable of dealing a serious blow to the ecosystem.
Professional opinion: The DeFi market is demonstrating maturity in security matters, but it is too early to relax. The reduction in median damage is not a victory, but merely a shift in the focus of attacks. Vulnerabilities in small projects remain a gap through which AI tools can accumulate experience for future, more sophisticated intrusions. Investors and developers should view this as a temporary respite, not a final solution to the problem.