North Korea Steals $2B in Crypto in 2025
North Korean state-linked hacking groups stole more than $2 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, accounting for the majority of global crypto theft this year, according to a new report from Chainalysis. The findings point to a shift toward fewer but significantly higher-impact attacks.North Korean hacking groups stole an estimated $2.02 billion in digital assets between January and early December, representing a 51% increase compared with the same period last year, the report found.

Chainalysis reported that North Korean actors were responsible for a record 76% of all service-level compromises in 2025, excluding individual wallet hacks. These incidents typically target centralized platforms or infrastructure providers rather than end users.

Total global cryptocurrency theft reached approximately $3.4 billion this year, with North Korean operations accounting for nearly 60% of the total. This pushed the regime’s cumulative crypto theft haul to an estimated $6.75 billion, according to the analysis.

While the number of hacking incidents attributed to North Korea declined by 74% compared with 2024, the average size and impact of each breach increased sharply. The report characterizes this as a strategic shift toward more selective, higher-value targets.

Chainalysis did not disclose the specific techniques used in the service-level compromises or name the affected platforms. However, the findings underscore the growing scale and sophistication of North Korean cyber operations within the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

The report is likely to intensify scrutiny around exchange security, cross-border enforcement, and the role of crypto theft in funding sanctioned state activities.

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