North Korea has rejected claims that it was behind the $6.3 billion cryptocurrency theft from Binance. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called the US accusation “absurd rhetoric.” She also accused Washington of trying to label North Korea as a state sponsor of cybercrime. Her comments followed the FBI’s announcement that it had linked the October 29 attack to TraderTraitor, a hacking group associated with North Korea.

The FBI estimates that the attackers stole more than $6 billion in digital assets, making this one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts on record. Blockchain intelligence firms Elliptic and Chainalysis are tracing the stolen funds. So far, their investigations have uncovered thousands of wallet addresses and tens of thousands of transactions across several blockchain networks.

Binance has since restored withdrawals, which remained suspended for around 48 hours. The exchange has said it will cover customer losses. However, the incident has already prompted customers to move billions of dollars off the platform. It has also drawn attention to a serious security concern: how well cryptocurrency exchanges protect the systems used to approve and carry out large digital asset transfers.

North Korea Responds to the FBI’s Findings

In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yo Jong criticized the FBI’s findings and accused the United States of repeatedly linking North Korea to international cybercrime. She described the US claim as “absurd rhetoric” and called it a political provocation. She also suggested that Pyongyang would have to reconsider its position in response to what it sees as continued hostility from Washington.

The FBI announced its findings on October 31 and identified the operation as TraderTraitor, a name it uses for North Korean cyber activities. The agency has not withdrawn its attribution.

North Korean hacking groups have been linked to several major cryptocurrency thefts involving exchanges and digital asset platforms. US officials have repeatedly warned that proceeds from these operations help North Korea earn foreign currency and fund activities that fall under international sanctions.

Source: Reuters, November 3, 2026.