North Korea denies allegations of funding cryptocurrency theft

The spokesperson of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the US accusations through the Korean Central News Agency, calling them "absurd slander" and "political tools" aimed at promoting a "hostile policy". According to TRM Labs data, since 2017, North Korean related hackers have stolen over $6 billion in cryptocurrency, accounting for 64% of global hacker attack losses, up from less than 10% in 2020. In the first four months of 2026, related hackers were accused of stealing approximately $577 million, accounting for 76% of global losses.