**North Korea Steals Record-Breaking $2 Billion in Crypto Hacks: Report**
North Korean hackers have once again made headlines for their audacious crypto heists, with a record-breaking haul of over $2 billion in 2025, according to the latest report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. The staggering figure accounts for approximately 59% of the total $3.4 billion stolen in crypto-related crimes last year.
"North Korea's sophistication and efficacy in laundering the proceeds from these incidents is continuing to improve," said Andrew Fierman, head of national security intelligence at Chainalysis. "The industry needs to continue ensuring that they have better security controls." The warning comes as investing in crypto has become increasingly mainstream, with more individuals and companies holding cryptocurrency, making them attractive targets for hackers.
Chainalysis' 2026 Crypto Crime Report highlights the creative ways North Korean hackers have been stealing funds. One of the methods involves recruiting their own citizens to work as IT employees at crypto companies, where they use artificial intelligence (AI) to pretend they are working from another country, such as the United States. These insiders then gain access to sensitive information and perpetuate large-scale breaches.
Another tactic employed by North Korean hackers is social engineering, where they send emails or text messages to individuals with crypto, tricking them into clicking on malicious links that grant access to their private wallets. The report notes that these types of attacks are becoming increasingly common, with over 158,000 personal wallet compromises recorded in 2025 – a threefold increase since 2022.
The largest crypto hack in history occurred in February, when Bybit, one of the largest crypto exchanges, lost $1.4 billion to North Korean hackers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) quickly attributed the theft to North Korea, with the attack accounting for approximately 40% of the total amount of crypto heists last year.
Chainalysis found that large-scale attacks dominated in 2025, with more than two-thirds of stolen funds coming from just three hacks. The report also highlights the rise of physical attacks on crypto owners, often referred to as "wrench attacks." Earlier this year, kidnappers targeted the co-founder of a Paris-based crypto wallet firm, severing his finger and demanding a ransom.
According to Fierman, individuals who publicly discuss their success in crypto investments should exercise caution: "If you're online, talking about your success in crypto investments, I'd recommend not doing that. It points to you potentially having a hardware wallet and creates a physical target for you as an individual."
The Chainalysis report serves as a stark reminder of the increasing sophistication of North Korean hackers and the importance of robust security measures in the crypto industry. As investing in crypto continues to grow, individuals and companies must remain vigilant against these threats.