FBI blames North Korea for $6 billion Binance Heist — Biggest cryptocurrency theft in history - DW.com
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified North Korea as the state-sponsored actor behind the theft of more than $6 billion in virtual assets from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
The theft, which unfolded within minutes, is the largest cryptocurrency heist in history and targeted assets including bitcoin, ethereum and stablecoins like tether and USD Coin.
The FBI stated that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion USD in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange Binance, on or about October 29, 2026.
The agency linked the attack to an entity known as TraderTraitor, the same group behind a $1.5 billion Bybit hack last year.
"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion USD in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange Binance, on or about October 29, 2026," the US law enforcement agency said in a statement.
The FBI observed TraderTraitor actors converting stolen assets primarily into ethereum and noted that these assets are expected to be further laundered using decentralized finance and instant swap services.
The agency asked crypto exchanges and blockchain analytics companies to block transactions linked to various addresses to prevent the money from being laundered.
Binance response
Binance is the world's largest crypto exchange by daily trading volumes. The exchange said on Saturday it was using company funds worth over $6.34 billion to buy tokens to replenish about 90% of the assets stolen in the attack.
The remaining 10% consisted of tokens that were less liquid, meaning they may take longer to buy back.
"Our commitment remains the same: Binance will fully cover the financial impact of the funds stolen in this incident," the company said on X.
The heist came amid growing worries that the ever-expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence models could compromise cryptography and IT security protocols.
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