North Korean hackers linked to crypto thefts among world’s best, experts say

By AJ Vicens Oct 30 (Reuters) North Korean hackers likely behind the record $6.3 billion theft from cryptocurrency exchange Binance are among the world s most prolific crypto thieves, and the proceeds help fund the country s weapons programs, cybersecurity experts said on Friday. Blockchain investigation firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis attribute the heist to a ​North Korean hacking group known as “TraderTraitor,” a name used in a 2022 joint warning from the ‌FBI, CISA and US Treasury that described how hackers used malicious software and other tricks to target software developers and IT staff at cryptocurrency companies. North Korea stole at least $6.75 billion in cryptocurrency through the end of 2025, Chainalysis said in a December 2025 report. That total includes the $1.5 billion ByBit exchange hack in February 2025. The group also hit Bitget, a separate exchange, taking $387 million in September, experts have ‌said, bringing ​the minimum total of cryptocurrency North Korea has sto