When you hear about a crypto exchange getting hacked for $200 million, it’s not always a rogue hacker. More often, it’s DPRK cryptocurrency theft, state-backed cyber operations by North Korea’s Lazarus Group that target digital assets to fund sanctions-busting programs. Also known as North Korea crypto hacking, this isn’t random crime—it’s a disciplined, well-funded program run by military intelligence units. Since 2017, these operations have stolen over $3 billion in crypto, making DPRK the world’s most active state-sponsored crypto thief.
This isn’t about breaking into wallets with brute force. DPRK hackers use social engineering, fake job offers, compromised developer tools, and deepfake videos to trick exchanges and DeFi platforms into handing over keys. They focus on cross-chain bridges, P2P platforms, and centralized exchanges with weak KYC—especially those serving users in Iran, Russia, or Venezuela, where sanctions make oversight harder. Once they get in, they launder funds through mixers, convert them to Monero, and move them through shell companies in the UAE or Southeast Asia. The Lazarus Group, a cyber warfare unit tied to North Korea’s Bureau 121. Also known as North Korean hacking unit, it has been linked to over 80 major crypto heists is the main engine behind this. They don’t just steal—they test new exploits, train junior hackers, and recycle failed attacks across multiple targets.
What makes DPRK cryptocurrency theft so hard to stop? Unlike traditional banks, crypto exchanges lack global regulators. A hack in South Korea might be reported, but the same funds reappear weeks later in a Binance P2P trade in Nigeria or a Turkish exchange using rubles. The blockchain cybercrime, the use of decentralized ledgers to launder stolen crypto while avoiding traditional financial tracking. Also known as crypto money laundering, it enables DPRK to move money without banks is their greatest advantage. Even when investigators trace a transaction, the trail ends at a mixer or a privacy coin. And because North Korea doesn’t care about reputation or legal consequences, they keep coming back.
You’ll find real cases here—how a single fake job posting led to a $100M breach at a Korean exchange, how a DeFi protocol’s smart contract flaw was exploited by DPRK-linked wallets, and why certain exchanges are repeatedly targeted. You’ll also see how countries like South Korea and the U.S. are responding with new tracking tools and sanctions. This isn’t theory. It’s happening now, and the next target could be any platform with weak security. The posts below show exactly how these attacks unfold, who’s been hit, and what you can do to protect yourself—whether you’re a trader, a developer, or just holding crypto.
North Korea bans crypto for its citizens but runs the world’s most aggressive state-sponsored hacking operation, stealing over $2.17 billion in 2025 to fund its nuclear program. This is how they do it - and why it matters to everyone.
