North Korea Denies Binance Hack Role, Calls FBI Probe a 'Trite Provocation'

North Korea denied involvement in the Binance cryptocurrency heist, dismissing the FBI's attribution as "a trite provocation" in a statement from Kim Yo Jong on Tuesday. The FBI linked the theft of over $6 billion from Binance to the North Korean hacking group TraderTraitor, which was also blamed for a $1.5 billion Bybit hack last year. Kim Yo Jong called the U.S. announcement "absurd rhetoric" and accused Washington of hostility. Experts say North Korea has increasingly relied on cryptocurrency theft to fund its economy and nuclear program amid sanctions. The heist coincided with North Korea's recent weapons tests, though President Trump said investigators were not yet certain of Pyongyang's involvement.