The secretive hermit kingdom has found a new way to fund its weapons obsession—stealing billions in cryptocurrency. North Korea’s elite hacker squad, known as the Lazarus Group, has pilfered over $3 billion since 2017. That’s not pocket change. It’s serious cash flowing directly into Kim Jong Un‘s weapons programs while international sanctions aim to strangle his economy.
Their biggest score? A whopping $1.5 billion heist from Bybit in February 2025. They’ve hit everyone—$620 million from Ronin Network, $250 million from KuCoin, and the list goes on. These aren’t amateur hackers. They’re state-sponsored professionals with a clear mission: fund the nuclear program at all costs.
North Korea’s elite hackers don’t mess around—they steal billions with military precision to fund Kim’s nuclear ambitions.
But stealing crypto is only half the battle. Laundering it takes real creativity. North Korean hackers have become masters at covering their tracks. They use cryptocurrency mixers like Tornado Cash. They hop between blockchains. They convert stolen funds to privacy coins like Monero. Peel chains, chain hopping, decentralized exchanges—they use them all. Clever, right?
The impact goes beyond just the stolen money. These heists undermine trust in the entire cryptocurrency ecosystem. They make international sanctions look like a joke. And every dollar stolen potentially funds another missile test. They specifically target DeFi platforms with minimal regulatory oversight to maximize their chances of success.
Their attack vectors aren’t particularly fancy. Social engineering. Malware. Phishing campaigns targeting exchange employees. Exploiting vulnerabilities in smart contracts. But they’re effective. Devastatingly so.
The international community isn’t standing still. The U.S. has slapped sanctions on North Korean cyber actors. The UN is investigating. Law enforcement agencies worldwide are collaborating more than ever. Blockchain analytics tools are getting better at tracking stolen funds.
Crypto platforms are fighting back too. Enhanced security audits. Multi-signature wallets. Employee training. Real-time monitoring systems. Information sharing. These hackers often time their attacks during network congestion when blockchain systems are overwhelmed and security teams are distracted.
But the Lazarus Group keeps adapting. They evolve their tactics. They stay one step ahead. In the Bybit attack alone, they managed to launder over $400 million within just five days of the breach. And the billions keep flowing into North Korea’s weapons programs. The crypto crime spree continues.
