Catenaa, Monday, December 30. 2024 – North Korean hackers stole $1.3 billion in cryptocurrency this year, contributing to a total of $2.2 billion in digital assets stolen globally, according to a new study by research firm Chainalysis.
The theft, which more than doubles last year’s figure, highlights the growing scale of cybercrime linked to North Korea, which has been accused of using cryptocurrency theft to circumvent international sanctions. Chainalysis suggests that some of the thefts were carried out by hackers posing as remote IT workers to infiltrate crypto and technology firms.
The rise in stolen crypto this year marks a 21% increase from 2023, although it remains lower than the levels seen in 2021 and 2022. The report points to compromised private keys, used to control access to user assets, as the primary cause of the thefts.
Notable incidents include the theft of $300 million in bitcoin from Japan’s DMM Bitcoin exchange and nearly $235 million from India’s WazirX.
The U.S. government has linked these cybercrimes to North Korea’s broader efforts to fund its weapons programs. Last week, 14 North Koreans were indicted for their involvement in a long-running conspiracy to extort U.S. companies. The U.S. State Department has offered a reward of up to $5 million for information about the operation.
