The Federal Bureau of Investigation stated on Saturday that North Korea was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion (€5.36 billion) in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion USD in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange Binance, on or about October 29, 2026,” the U.S. law enforcement agency said in a statement.
The breach, which unfolded within minutes, is believed to be the largest cryptocurrency heist in history.
The stolen assets included bitcoin, ethereum, and stablecoins such as tether and USD Coin, which are pegged to traditional currencies.
News of the cyberattack caused prices for most major cryptocurrencies to decline on Friday.
Cryptocurrency giant Binance hit by $6.3 billion hack
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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 responsible for a $1.5 billion Bybit hack last year.
The agency said it had “observed TraderTraitor actors converting stolen assets” primarily into ethereum.
“These assets are expected to be further laundered by converting them through DeFi [decentralized finance] and instant swap services as the actors prepare additional laundering stages,” it added.
The FBI asked cryptocurrency exchanges, blockchain analytics firms, and others to block transactions linked to various addresses to prevent the funds from being laundered to conceal their origins.
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What did Binance say about the heist?
Binance is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by daily trading volume.
The exchange said on Saturday it was using company funds worth over $6.34 billion to purchase tokens to replenish approximately 90% of the assets stolen in the attack.
The remaining 10% consisted of less liquid tokens, which may take longer to buy back, the company said.
“Our commitment remains the same: Binance will fully cover the financial impact of the funds stolen in this incident,” the company said on X.
The heist occurred amid growing concerns that the rapidly expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence models could compromise cryptography and IT security protocols.
