North Korea dismisses US allegations over massive Binance cryptocurrency theft

North Korea has flatly denied involvement in the record-breaking cryptocurrency heist at Binance, dismissing United States allegations as unfounded provocations aimed at damaging its international reputation.

The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange disclosed Friday that hackers had stolen more than USD 6 billion in digital assets. The Federal Bureau of Investigation subsequently attributed the attack to North Korean state-sponsored hackers, specifically naming a group known as TraderTraitor, which Washington says was also responsible for a USD 1.5 billion breach of the Bybit exchange in the previous year.

In response, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, characterized the FBI's announcement as "a trite provocation" and "absurd rhetoric." She argued that the United States routinely attempted to link North Korea with major cyber incidents without evidence, using such accusations as a deliberate strategy to undermine the country's standing in the international community.

The attribution by US authorities represents part of a broader pattern of accusations against Pyongyang regarding large-scale cryptocurrency thefts targeting digital asset platforms. Security analysts have previously identified North Korean hacking groups as sources of significant funds for the isolated nation, which faces international sanctions.