North Korea Condemns US Over Binance Cryptocurrency Theft Allegations

By Staff, Agencies

North Korea has accused the United States of a “grave political provocation” after the FBI blamed Pyongyang for a massive cryptocurrency theft targeting Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

The FBI alleged over the weekend that a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group known as TraderTraitor was responsible for stealing more than $6 billion in digital assets from the exchange.

Binance was hacked on October 30 in what could become the largest cryptocurrency theft in history.

Preliminary findings indicated that attackers gained access to a DevOps engineer’s personal laptop, allowing them to penetrate the exchange’s infrastructure and initiate unauthorized transactions.

US investigators said the stolen assets were being converted primarily into Ethereum, with further laundering expected through decentralized finance platforms and cryptocurrency exchanges.

Binance temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals following the attack before beginning to compensate affected users. The company said it had already covered approximately 90% of the stolen assets using its own funds.

North Korea has repeatedly denied Western allegations that it conducts cyberattacks to finance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

According to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, hacking groups allegedly linked to Pyongyang stole approximately $2.02 billion in cryptocurrency during 2025, marking a 51% increase from the previous year. Another analytics firm, Elliptic, estimates that North Korean hackers have stolen $7.6 billion in cryptocurrency so far in 2026.

The latest confrontation comes as Pyongyang has yet to publicly respond to US President Donald Trump’s overtures to resume direct diplomatic engagement. North Korea has previously accused Washington of turning cyberspace into an arena of confrontation and described allegations of its involvement in cybercrime as politically motivated.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed the latest accusations as “absurd rhetoric,” according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In a statement released on Tuesday, Kim accused Washington of attempting to portray North Korea as a state engaged in cybercrime, arguing that the allegations reflected continued US hostility toward Pyongyang.

“It is a grave political provocation against the DPRK that the US misleads international public opinion as if all the cyber crimes in different parts of the world are our deeds,” she said.

Kim also warned that Pyongyang had “issues to reconsider” in response to what she described as Washington’s “very unpleasant US hostile attitude,” without specifying what measures North Korea might take.