2 billion dollars: North Korean hackers stole a lot of cryptocurrency in 2025

Hackers working for the North Korean government stole over $2 billion in cryptocurrency during 2025, setting a new anti-record. This was reported by the blockchain analysis company Elliptic, noting that this is the largest annual amount in history, with three months still remaining in the year.

How much cryptocurrency have North Korean hackers stolen over 8 years

According to estimates by Elliptic, the new figure is based on over 30 crimes committed throughout this year. The previous record was set in 2022 when North Korea stole $1.35 billion. The total amount of stolen cryptocurrency since 2017 is at least $6 billion, though the actual figure may be even higher.

"The actual figure may be even higher. Attributing cyber thefts to North Korea is not an exact science," says the company's research. 

Analysts are aware of many other thefts that show signs of North Korean activity, but lack sufficient evidence for final confirmation. Other cases likely remain unrecorded and unknown.

Who are North Korean hackers robbing

Elliptic notes that the main targets of North Korea remain cryptocurrency exchanges, but hackers from the regime have also started to attack wealthy individuals who hold large amounts of cryptocurrency. This is not the only change in the tactics of North Korean cybercriminals.

Key changes in the methods of North Korean hackers in 2025

• most attacks are carried out through social engineering, where hackers deceive or manipulate people to gain access to cryptocurrencies; 

• this changes the approach from previous attacks where technical vulnerabilities of crypto infrastructure were exploited; 

• the weak link in cryptocurrency security is increasingly shifting from technical to the human factor.

Estimates from Elliptic align with data from other organizations. Last year, the UN Security Council calculated that between 2017 and 2023, North Korean hackers stole $3 billion in cryptocurrency. Adding Elliptic's estimates for this year ($2 billion) and last year's $742.8 million, the total amount approaches $6 billion.

Governments of Japan, South Korea, and the USA accused North Korean hackers of stealing over $659 million in 2024, which approximately coincides with Elliptic's figures. The UN believes that Kim Jong-un's regime uses the stolen cryptocurrency to fund its nuclear program.

Record cryptocurrency theft from the Bybit exchange

This year's record was primarily formed due to a massive theft of over $1.4 billion from the Bybit cryptocurrency exchange. The FBI and several blockchain monitoring companies attributed this attack to North Korean activity. This is the largest single crime in the history of crypto thefts.

Earlier we wrote that over 2000 North Korean soldiers have died in Ukraine.