North Korea denies role in Binance's record US$6.3 billion crypto heist

North Korea has denied US accusations that it was responsible for the theft of over US$6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance, the largest crypto heist on record, which the FBI attributed to a Pyongyang-linked hacking team. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called the US claim "absurd rhetoric" in a statement on Nov 3, following the FBI's Oct 31 identification of the TraderTraitor hacking group as the perpetrator. The FBI said stolen assets were being converted into Ethereum and laundered through decentralized platforms. North Korea has previously been blamed for major crypto thefts, including the US$1.5 billion Bybit attack and a US$620 million theft in 2022. The denial comes as President Donald Trump has floated potential US outreach to North Korea, though he recently downplayed expectations of a meeting.