North Korean hackers steal $6.3 billion from Binance in record crypto heist

nzherald.co.nz —

Hackers stole US$6.3 billion from Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, in a minutes-long attack that halted withdrawals and set a record as the biggest hack in history. The theft has been attributed to suspected North Korean actors. The attackers rapidly split funds across wallets using automated tools to obscure the trail, according to Chainalysis. Circle and Tether froze about US$1.8 billion in stablecoins, while Binance said US$3 billion was blocked, leaving at least US$2.4 billion beyond reach. The exchange plans to refund customers via its own funds and a US$1 billion bitcoin reserve. Two cyber security firms linked the hack to TraderTraitor, a North Korean group behind prior heists, including a US$1.5 billion Bybit theft. TRM Labs estimates North Korea has stolen US$12.8 billion in crypto since 2017. Binance, previously fined US$4.3 billion for anti-money-laundering failures, is coordinating with law enforcement, including the Secret Service.


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