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North Korean hackers blamed for record spike in crypto thefts in 2025


Chainalysis said crypto thefts during the first half of 2025 were at record levels, thanks in large part to a single breach at a major crypto exchange.

The blockchain analysis company said Thursday in a new report that the $2.17 billion stolen during the first half of 2025 has already surpassed the amount of crypto lost last year. North Korea, largely cut off from the outside world and the international banking system, has become a formidable threat in recent years by targeting Western companies to steal cryptocurrency with the aim of funding its sanctioned nuclear weapons program. North Korea has also relied on thousands of remote IT workers, who infiltrate tech companies to earn a wage, steal intellectual property, and then extort companies into paying so as not to publish their sensitive files.

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