The year 2025 turned out to be the most “lucrative” for North Korean hackers in recorded history. According to a report by the analytics firm Chainalysis, since January, cybercriminals sponsored by Pyongyang have pilfered digital assets exceeding \$2.02 billion, reports Yahoo Finance.
Compared to 2024, the volume of thefts has increased by more than 50%. In total, since 2016, DPRK hackers have stolen \$6.75 billion in cryptocurrencies. The crypto industry’s total losses from breaches in 2025 amounted to \$3.4 billion, with the majority of this sum attributed to the North Koreans’ activities.
The main event of the year was the compromise of the Dubai-based crypto exchange Bybit in late February. During one assault, hackers linked to the DPRK extracted \$1.5 billion. This became the biggest single theft in the industry’s history.
US and UN authorities have repeatedly stated that the illicitly obtained funds are utilized to bankroll North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
“Cryptocurrency heists have become the simplest method for the DPRK to fund its regime,” remarked Eun-Young Choi, a former U.S. federal prosecutor.
The hackers employ intricate money laundering schemes, incorporating decentralized finance protocols to obscure their tracks. Experts observe a paradox: the Trump administration’s aspiration to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world” and the general increase in cryptocurrency adoption create new avenues and targets for the hackers.
About the Author
