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North Korea Sets Record With $2 Billion Crypto Theft In 2025, Total Haul Nears $6.75 Billion
**North Korean hackers have made a staggering comeback in the cryptocurrency market, stealing a record-breaking $2.02 billion worth of digital assets in 2025 alone. This marks their biggest annual haul to date and pushes their all-time total to a whopping $6.75 billion, according to a report by Chainalysis.
The surge comes despite a notable decrease in the number of attacks, as DPRK groups shifted towards high-value, precision infiltrations targeting centralized platforms. This change in strategy has proven to be highly effective, with North Korean hackers achieving larger thefts with fewer incidents.
One of the key factors contributing to this success is the use of sophisticated impersonation tactics targeting executives and the embedding of IT workers inside crypto services. These tactics have allowed DPRK groups to bypass traditional security measures and gain access to sensitive information.
The report also highlights a notable trend in the DPRK's preference for Chinese-language money laundering services, bridge services, and mixing protocols. Following major thefts, the group typically follows a 45-day laundering cycle to disguise the origins of the stolen funds.
Individual wallet compromises surged to 158,000 incidents affecting 80,000 unique victims in 2025, though total value stolen ($713M) decreased from 2024. Despite increased Total Value Locked in DeFi, hack losses remained suppressed in 2024-2025, suggesting improved security practices are making a meaningful difference.
The report notes that crypto theft has always been dominated by a few massive hacks, but 2025 marks a shift in scale. For the first time, the gap between the largest single hack and the median incident has exceeded a ratio of 1,000 to 1. In other words, the biggest attacks now involve sums a thousand times larger than those in a typical breach, surpassing even the extremes seen during the 2021 bull market.
The surge in crypto theft comes as no surprise, given the record-high prices reached by Bitcoin in 2025. The largest cryptocurrency hit an all-time high of $126,000 for the first time ever, fueled by an administration that championed digital assets. Analysts had been predicting a bull run lasting for years, but it seems that North Korean hackers have found ways to capitalize on this trend.
As the crypto market continues to grow and evolve, it's clear that security measures must keep pace with the sophistication of these attacks. With $2 billion stolen in 2025 alone, the total haul nears a staggering $6.75 billion – a stark reminder of the risks and challenges facing the industry.
**Timeline:**
* 2021: Crypto theft reaches new highs during bull market * 2024-2025: Hack losses remain suppressed despite increased DeFi activity * 2025: North Korean hackers steal $2.02 billion in cryptocurrency, pushing total haul to $6.75 billion
**Key Takeaways:**
* DPRK groups shift towards high-value, precision infiltrations targeting centralized platforms * Sophisticated impersonation tactics and embedded IT workers contribute to success * Preference for Chinese-language money laundering services and mixing protocols * Individual wallet compromises surge to 158,000 incidents affecting 80,000 unique victims