WASHINGTON — The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed that North Korea was responsible for stealing more than $6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
In a cyber alert issued on October 31, 2026, the FBI identified the operation as the work of North Korean-linked hackers known as TraderTraitor. The theft reportedly occurred on or around October 29.
According to the agency, the hackers stole more than $6 billion in virtual assets before beginning to move the funds through cryptocurrency transactions in an apparent effort to conceal their origins.
The FBI, working alongside the US Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division, said investigators had observed the stolen assets being converted primarily into Ethereum.
Authorities warned that the hackers were expected to move the funds further through decentralised finance platforms and instant cryptocurrency exchange services as part of efforts to launder the money.
The three agencies have urged cryptocurrency exchanges, blockchain operators, digital asset service providers and other industry players to identify and block transactions connected to wallet addresses associated with the operation.
The FBI also published a list of cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to the suspected North Korean operation to help industry players identify and prevent further movement of the stolen funds.
Binance has reassured customers that it has sufficient resources to cover the losses. Reports indicate that the exchange has used company funds to replenish approximately 90 per cent of the stolen assets.
The incident is being described as one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts ever recorded, highlighting the growing threat posed by state-linked cybercriminal operations targeting digital financial platforms.
