How suspected North Korean hackers swiped billions in crypto in only minutes
The FBI has blamed North Korea for a record cryptocurrency theft from Binance totaling between $6.3 billion and $6.43 billion. Hackers moved the funds across 10 blockchains in approximately 20 minutes, rapidly erasing evidence. While authorities and issuers have frozen or seized between $2.7 billion and $2.85 billion, the remaining assets are being laundered through an automated system using 12,000 wallets, with new wallets created every 25 seconds. The attack forced Binance to halt platform withdrawals and prompted other exchanges to tighten security.
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- ✓ The FBI has blamed North Korea for the Binance cryptocurrency theft.
- ✓ Hackers stole between $6.3 billion and $6.43 billion from Binance.
- ✓ The theft occurred across 10 blockchains.
- ✓ Approximately $2.7 billion to $2.85 billion of the stolen funds have been frozen or seized.
What changed
The FBI officially attributed the theft to North Korea and detailed the automated laundering process involving 12,000 wallets.
Live updates
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FBI Attributes Record $6.3 Billion Binance Theft to North Korea
The FBI has blamed North Korea for a record cryptocurrency theft from Binance totaling between $6.3 billion and $6.43 billion. Hackers moved the funds across 10 blockchains in approximately 20 minutes, rapidly erasing evidence. While authorities and issuers have frozen or seized between $2.7 billion and $2.85 billion, the remaining assets are being laundered through an automated system using 12,000 wallets, with new wallets created every 25 seconds. The attack forced Binance to halt platform withdrawals and prompted other exchanges to tighten security.
Why it matters
This heist exposes the fragility of the cryptocurrency sector and the evolution of state-sponsored cybercrime. It highlights a shift toward automated, high-speed financial attacks that bypass traditional blockchain security by targeting human or software vulnerabilities.
What is confirmed
- The FBI has blamed North Korea for the Binance cryptocurrency theft.
- Hackers stole between $6.3 billion and $6.43 billion from Binance.
- The theft occurred across 10 blockchains.
- Approximately $2.7 billion to $2.85 billion of the stolen funds have been frozen or seized.
- The attack caused Binance to halt withdrawals on its platform.
Still unconfirmed
- The heist may have been an inside job or involved AI-powered infiltration of company software.
What to watch next
- Recovery of the remaining stolen assets from the 12,000 laundering wallets
- Official confirmation of whether AI was used to execute the infiltration
- Further security audits of crypto wallet safety standards
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (21)
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