The North Korean Foreign Ministry has rejected allegations linking the country to cryptocurrency thefts. A spokesperson described media reports as "absurd slander" and a "political tool" of the U.S., as reported by the state agency KCNA.
Pyongyang stated that Washington is promoting a "hostile policy" against North Korea.
The Foreign Ministry representative also pointed out the illogical nature of the situation where the United States, with its "world's best cyber capabilities," presents itself as the "main victim."
"Our principled position is to protect cyberspace, a common heritage of humanity, from any malicious actions. We are firmly against attempts to use cyber issues as a political tool to violate sovereignty and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries," the statement read.
Scale of Losses
Earlier, specialists from TRM Labs calculated that North Korean-linked hackers stole approximately $577 million in the first four months of 2026. This accounts for 76% of all losses in cryptocurrency projects during that period.
Experts emphasized that North Korea's share of stolen digital assets increased from less than 10% in 2020-2021 to 64% in 2025. The total damage has exceeded $6 billion.
The main contributions to this year's figures came from two attacks in April. TRM Labs linked the Kelp hack of $292 million to TraderTraitor, an affiliate of the Lazarus group.
The Drift exploit of $285 million was attributed to a separate North Korean subgroup, although its involvement is still being verified.
The UN believes that all stolen funds are being used by North Korea to develop its nuclear programs.
It is worth noting that researchers have repeatedly stated that North Korean hackers are actively infiltrating cryptocurrency projects. In mid-April, an Ethereum Foundation fellow identified 100 North Korean IT agents in Web3 companies.
A network of developers linked to Pyongyang in the crypto industry was also revealed by on-chain detective ZachXBT.