North Korea has vehemently denied allegations that it is the mastermind behind a recent wave of high-profile international cryptocurrency hacks.
“Hermit Kingdom” has described the claims as “false information” in response to inquiries from the Korean Central News Agency. A spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has described the hacking allegations as “absurd slander” that is meant to damage Pyongyang’s global image for political purposes.
The ministry has accused the United States of attempting to spread a “distorted perception” of North Korea.
North Korea has threatened to take all necessary measures to protect its interests.
High-profile hacks
These forceful denials come after the international community and U.S. intelligence agencies have spent years identifying North Korea-linked hacking syndicates, such as the infamous Lazarus Group, as the main suspects in massive cryptocurrency thefts.
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The Lazarus Group initially drew major global attention following the 2014 Sony Pictures hack. The group has since been linked to other major cybercrimes. Most recently, it was allegedly responsible for the attack on the decentralized finance platform KelpDAO that resulted in the theft of about $290 million to $292 million in cryptocurrency.
In February 2025, the FBI confirmed that North Korea was responsible for stealing approximately $1.5 billion in virtual assets from the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit.
In July 2024, North Korean state-sponsored hackers also breached WazirX, India’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and managed to steal $235 million.
According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, North Korean hackers have stolen over $6 billion in cryptocurrencies since 2017.
North Korea’s share of global crypto hacking losses has reportedly surged to a staggering 64% in 2025.
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