North Korea steals over $2 billion in crypto – new record
- According to an analysis by blockchain company Elliptic, North Korean hackers from the Lazarus group stole more than $2 billion in cryptocurrencies in 2025. This is a new record high. The previous high, set in 2022, was $1.35 billion.
- The attackers landed their biggest blow in February 2025. They stole $1.46 billion from the crypto exchange Bybit, one of the most serious hacks in the industry's history. The total known value of crypto assets stolen by North Korea now exceeds $6 billion.
- The study, based on over 30 hacks in 2025, reveals a strategic shift: In addition to crypto exchanges, wealthy individuals with large wallets are increasingly being targeted. BTC-ECHO covered one such case: 2,000 Bitcoin gone in seconds: Arguably the most expensive click in the world.
- Instead of technical exploits, attackers today use social manipulation, phishing, and targeted deception to gain access to wallets. This indicates growing professionalism and resources.
- Elliptic warns that many attacks are not yet publicly known, and some can only be indirectly linked to North Korea. The scale of the operation could therefore be even larger than previously thought.
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Sources
- Elliptic Blog Post | Elliptic
Eine Quelle: btc-echo.de
