North Korean Hackers Hit a Record $2B in 2025 Cryptocurrency Theft, Targeting Bybit in February and Shifting to Bigger, Fewer Attacks

COINOTAG News reports a record year for North Korea-linked crypto theft, with losses topping $2 billion, up 50% from last year.

In February, a Bybit breach involved as much as $1.5 billion, representing about 75% of the year’s illicit crypto gains.

Since 2016, North Korea-linked actors have amassed roughly $6.7 billion in crypto theft; this year they accounted for 76% of major exchange hacks.

Analysts note a shift toward larger-scale intrusions with insiders inside firms. SEAL‘s Pablo Sabbatella cautions that 30–40% of crypto job applications originate from North Korean operatives seeking infiltration.