Binance crypto heist: How hackers stole $6.3 billion in 20 minutes

Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, suffered a cyberattack that stole approximately $6.3 billion in digital assets, with most taken in 20 minutes, marking one of the largest security breaches in crypto history. The attack compromised Binance's internal transaction authorisation system, not private keys, allowing hackers to issue unauthorised withdrawal instructions. Blockchain analytics firms linked the breach to North Korean hacking groups, though Binance has not officially confirmed the attackers' identity. Binance said it will cover customer losses, having already covered $6 billion, and roughly half of the stolen stablecoin assets were frozen by issuers. However, about $2.4 billion in Bitcoin and Ether remains unrecovered.