Add as a preferred source on GoogleNorth Korea's Share of Crypto Hack Losses Reached 63% in 2025
The share rose from 7% in 2020. Eleven governments said North Korean hackers stole at least $1.65 billion in the first nine months of 2025 to support weapons programs.
North Korea-linked hackers accounted for a growing share of crypto stolen in hacks from 2020 through 2025.
The annual figures show the share below 10% in 2021, then at 22% in 2022 and 37% in 2023. It reached 39% in 2024 and 63% in 2025. The 2026 calendar year is still underway.
The annual percentages measure the estimated portion of crypto stolen in hacks attributed to North Korea, rather than a dollar total for each year.
Eleven governments said North Korean hackers took at least $1.65 billion during the first nine months of 2025. They compared that sum with North Korea's legal export earnings for all of 2025, saying it was 3.5 times larger. The governments said stolen funds help finance the country's weapons programs.
The FBI attributed the $1.5 billion Bybit theft in February 2025 to North Korea. The bureau also tied Lazarus Group to the $620 million Ronin hack in 2022 and uses the name TraderTraitor for hackers behind thefts at Bybit, DMM Bitcoin and Binance.
TokenPost previously covered an estimate of North Korea-linked crypto theft through Oct. 29 at $7.4 billion, with the Binance theft driving most of that total.
Simon Yoon
ReporterSimon Yoon reports on blockchain technology for TokenPost. Send corrections or tips to info@tokenpost.com.