Thu Feb 27 06:54:19 UTC 2025: ## FBI Blames North Korea for Record-Breaking $1.5 Billion Crypto Heist
**Washington D.C.** – The FBI has accused North Korea of orchestrating the largest cryptocurrency heist in history, a theft of approximately $1.5 billion in digital assets. The agency publicly identified the Lazarus Group, also known as TraderTraitor, as the perpetrators behind the attack on cryptocurrency exchange Bybit.
The theft, which occurred last week, involved the conversion of stolen assets into Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, dispersed across thousands of addresses on various blockchains. The FBI anticipates further laundering of these funds before eventual conversion into fiat currency.
Lazarus Group, a notorious state-sponsored hacking group, has a long history of cyberattacks. They gained international attention a decade ago for their involvement in the hacking of Sony Pictures in retaliation for the film “The Interview.”
The FBI’s announcement highlights the sophistication and scale of North Korea’s cyber-warfare capabilities, which, according to a 2020 US military report, involve a 6,000-strong unit known as Bureau 121 operating internationally. The ongoing investigation underscores the growing threat posed by state-sponsored cybercrime and the challenges in tracking and recovering stolen cryptocurrency.
First Piper 