North Korea denies allegations of cryptocurrency theft, having been accused of stealing over $570 million this year

Odaily Planet Daily News North Korea has denied allegations of its involvement in cryptocurrency theft, calling the claims "absurd slander" and a "political tool." The statement, issued by state media, emphasized that necessary measures will be taken to safeguard national interests. However, data from blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs shows that in the first four months of 2026, hacker groups linked to North Korea stole approximately $577 million, accounting for about 76% of global crypto theft losses during the same period. This includes two major attacks on KelpDAO (approximately $292 million) and Drift Protocol (approximately $285 million).

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

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