North Korean hackers have stolen over $2 billion in cryptocurrency this year, setting a new annual record, according to blockchain analysis firm Elliptic.
Hackers Shift Tactics
The $2 billion theft surpasses the previous record of $1.35 billion set in 2022, the blog post published by Elliptic said. This year’s losses are largely driven by February’s $1.46 billion theft from cryptocurrency exchange Bybit.
The known value of cryptoassets stolen by the regime now amounts to more than $6 billion, a figure that could be an underestimate, Elliptic said.
The firm’s study, which is based on over 30 hacks carried out in 2025, found that while crypto exchanges remain the main targets, hackers have …