Reports say there is a 440% surge in hackers using blockchain-related tools to support cyberattacks. The coverage attributes the increase to the growing use of AI, which can automate parts of attack planning and execution and lower barriers for malicious actors.
Several outlets also point to open-source AI models as a key factor. They note that these models can be run independently and may be modified, repackaged, or adjusted to bypass protections. In this framing, safeguards that might exist in controlled or proprietary systems are less effective when the underlying code is accessible.
While both sources describe the same overall trend and underlying mechanism, the emphasis differs slightly: one focuses on hackers “using blockchains” as an enabler of attacks, while the other frames the same development as an AI-fueled rise in such actors. The articles agree on the reported scale of the increase and the role of open-source AI being adaptable for cybercrime, but they do not provide additional specifics such as affected sectors, geographic distribution, or confirmed case studies within the shared text.
