North Korea has vehemently denied accusations that it was behind the record $6.3 billion cryptocurrency hack of Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange. A statement attributed to Kim Yo-jong, a high-ranking North Korean official and the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed the allegations as "absurd rhetoric" and a "sinister attempt" by the United States to tarnish the country's image.
US government agencies, including the FBI and Secret Service, along with cyber analysts, have pointed to Pyongyang as the orchestrator of the heist, describing it as the largest in history. Blockchain analysts have identified the state-backed hacking group Lazarus Group, also known as TraderTraitor, as the entity responsible. This same group was previously blamed for a $1.5 billion hack of the crypto exchange Bybit in 2025.
Kim Yo-jong, identified as the director of North Korea's General Affairs Department, stated, "The US has made a trite provocation of linking it with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea again." She further described the US claims as a "grave political provocation" intended to mislead international public opinion regarding cybercrimes.
The FBI has reportedly urged industry partners to assist in blocking cryptocurrency transactions associated with the Lazarus Group. Binance has largely focused its public statements on the technical aspects of the breach and its ongoing efforts to secure user accounts since the incident.