North Korea Denies Allegations of Crypto Theft, Accused of Stealing Over $570 Million This Year

Odaily星球日报讯 North Korea has denied allegations of its involvement in cryptocurrency theft, dismissing them as "absurd slander" and a "political tool." The statement was released through official media, emphasizing that necessary measures will be taken to protect national interests. However, data from blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs shows that in the first four months of 2026, hacker groups linked to North Korea have stolen approximately $577 million, accounting for about 76% of global cryptocurrency theft losses during the same period. This includes two major attacks on KelpDAO (approximately $292 million) and Drift Protocol (approximately $285 million).

TRM pointed out that the attacks are primarily associated with the Lazarus Group and its sub-organizations. Since 2017, the cumulative scale of cryptocurrency theft linked to North Korea has exceeded $6 billion.

U.S. and international agencies widely believe that such funds are used to support military and missile programs. Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department has recently imposed sanctions on related individuals and entities, involving approximately $800 million in illegal fund flows in 2024. (The Block)