The FBI said on Saturday that North Korea was behind the theft of more than $6 billion (€5.36 billion) in virtual assets from the Binance cryptocurrency exchange.
“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) is responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion in virtual assets from the Binance cryptocurrency exchange on or about October 29, 2026,” US law enforcement said in a statement.
The theft, which happened within minutes, is considered the largest cryptocurrency heist in history.
The stolen assets included Bitcoin, Ethereum and stablecoins such as Tether and USD Coin, whose values are linked to traditional currencies.
News of the cyberattack sent prices of most major cryptocurrencies tumbling on Friday.
On Sunday, Binance resumed withdrawals, saying the process would be completed in phases, with the first covering 15 cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, ether, XRP and dogecoin.
The company had suspended withdrawals after the hack.
What did the FBI say?
The FBI said the theft was linked to “malicious cyber activity” by an entity known as TraderTraitor, the same actors behind a $1.5 billion Bybit hack last year.
The agency said it “observed TraderTraitor actors converting stolen assets” primarily into a cryptocurrency called Ethereum.
“It is expected that these assets will then be further laundered by converting them using DeFi (decentralized finance) and instant exchange services, as they prepare them for further stages of laundering,” he added.
The FBI has asked cryptocurrency exchanges, blockchain analysis companies and others to block transactions linked to various addresses to ensure that money is not laundered to conceal its origins.
What did Binance say about the heist?
Binance is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by daily trading volumes.
The exchange said Saturday that it was using company funds worth more than $6.34 billion to purchase tokens to replenish about 90% of the assets stolen in the attack.
The remaining 10% consisted of less liquid tokens, meaning they could take longer to redeem, the company said.
“Our commitment remains the same: Binance will fully cover the financial impact of funds stolen in this incident,” the company said on X.
The theft occurred amid growing concerns that the ever-expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence models could compromise cryptography and computer security protocols.
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