North Korea denies allegations of involvement in cryptocurrency theft, accused of stealing over $570 million this year

According to The Block, North Korea has denied allegations of its involvement in cryptocurrency theft, calling the claims "absurd defamation" and a "political tool." The statement was released by state media, emphasizing that necessary measures will be taken to safeguard national interests.

However, data from blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs shows that hacker groups associated with North Korea have stolen approximately $577 million, accounting for about 76% of global cryptocurrency theft losses during the same period. This includes two major attack incidents on KelpDAO (approximately $292 million) and Drift Protocol (approximately $285 million).

TRM pointed out that the related attacks are mainly associated with the Lazarus Group and its sub-organizations. Since 2017, the cumulative scale of cryptocurrency theft linked to North Korea has exceeded $6 billion. U.S. and international agencies generally believe that such funds are used to support military and missile programs. Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury has recently imposed sanctions on related individuals and entities, involving approximately $800 million in illegal fund flows for 2024.