The post North Korean Hackers Have Stolen $2 Billion in Crypto This Year: Report appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

In brief Hackers linked to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (aka North Korea) have stolen $2.02 billion worth of crypto so far in 2025. That’s a 51% increase from last year, and accounts for 59% of all stolen crypto funds so far this year. Chainalysis says that attackers are making fewer breaches, but ultimately inflicting much more damage. Hackers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known as the DPRK or North Korea, have stolen $2.02 billion worth of crypto so far in 2025, a Chainalysis report revealed Thursday. This represents a 51% increase from last year’s figure, and is the largest year on record for DPRK-related crypto theft. As a whole, crypto has seen $3.4 billion in thefts this year, the report says, meaning that DPRK attacks account for 59% of these stolen funds. Chainalysis believes that the data shows an “evolution” from North Korea, as they start to commit fewer attacks but inflict significantly more damage with each strike. February’s $1.5 billion Bybit attack, which the FBI linked to the DPRK, is a key example of this evolution.  “For the cryptocurrency industry, this evolution demands enhanced vigilance around high-value targets and improved detection of DPRK’s specific laundering patterns,” the report states. “Their consistent preferences for certain service types and transfer amounts provide detection opportunities, distinguish them from other criminals, and can help investigators identify their on-chain behavioral footprint.” Chainalysis claims to have identified a distinct three-wave, 45-day-long laundering pattern that DPRK attackers usually follow. Identifiers include using Chinese-language services, heavy reliance on bridging assets cross-chains to confuse tracking, and greater use of crypto mixing services. This pattern, the report says, has persisted over the past few years. Chainalysis told Decrypt that this distinct money laundering pattern is enough to link attacks to the DPRK. “In many…

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Filed under: News - @ December 18, 2025 8:22 pm