The FBI has accused North Korea of orchestrating the largest cryptocurrency heist in history, stealing approximately $1.5 billion in digital assets from the Bybit exchange last week.
In a public announcement, the FBI revealed that the Lazarus Group, also known as TraderTraitor, was responsible for the theft. The group has already begun converting the stolen assets into Bitcoin and other virtual currencies, dispersing them across thousands of blockchain addresses. These assets are expected to be laundered and eventually converted into fiat currency.
The Lazarus Group first gained notoriety over a decade ago for hacking Sony Pictures in retaliation for the film *The Interview*, which mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
North Korea’s cyber-warfare unit, Bureau 121, has been active since the mid-1990s, growing into a formidable force with over 6,000 personnel spread across several countries, according to a 2020 U.S. military report.
This marks one of the most significant cybercriminal activities attributed to North Korea’s growing cyber capabilities.
AFP Report
