On 3 November 2026, North Korea rejected US allegations that it was involved in a large-scale cyberattack on the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, in which hackers stole assets worth $6.3 billion. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the DPRK leader, described the statements by US intelligence agencies as baseless and accused Washington of political provocation. This was reported by Reuters, citing the state news agency KCNA.
- Hackers stole $6.3 billion worth of cryptocurrency from Binance.
- The US FBI has accused the North Korea-linked group TraderTraitor of carrying out the attack.
- North Korea has categorically denied any involvement in the abduction.
- Customers have withdrawn $4.72 billion more from Binance than they have deposited since trading resumed.
- Binance has announced that it has already restored 95% of the affected crypto assets.
North Korea has rejected allegations that it has stolen billions of dollars
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation On 31 October, it was reported that the hacker group TraderTraitor was behind the large-scale attack on Binance; US intelligence agencies have linked the group’s activities to North Korea.
According to the FBI, the theft took place on or around 29 October. The perpetrators gained access to cryptocurrency assets worth over $6 billion. This incident could be the largest financial theft in history.
In response. Kim Yo-jong, an influential member of the DPRK leadership and sister of Kim Jong-un, accused Washington of attempting to portray the country as a hub for international cybercrime.
She described the US side’s claims as «absurd rhetoric» and stated that the US was attempting to create negative international public opinion about North Korea.
According to KCNA, Kim Yo-jong also warned that Pyongyang may reconsider certain aspects of its relations with the US due to what it regards as hostile actions by Washington. However, she did not specify exactly which decisions this might concern.
Binance has lost $6.3 billion: what is happening to clients’ funds?
The cyberattack led to a sharp rise in the number of withdrawal requests from the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
According to Reuters, as at 2 November, the net outflow of client assets from Binance stood at $4.72 billion. This figure is equivalent to approximately 3% of the assets held on the platform.
Following the hack, the exchange suspended trading for more than two days cryptocurrency withdrawals. Operations began to resume gradually on 1 November, and on 3 November the withdrawal options were extended to include further assets.
Co-CEO of Binance Richard Teng During the Hong Kong Fintech Week financial forum, he stated that the company remains financially stable.
According to him, following an initial surge, user activity returned to normal, and the volume of deposits once again began to exceed the volume of withdrawals.
Binance also announced that it has already recovered 95% of cryptocurrency assets affected by the attack. Corporate reserves and the special SAFU insurance fund are being used to cover the losses.
The remaining 5% consist of less liquid tokens, the acquisition of which requires additional time. The company assures users that they should not suffer any financial losses as a result of the incident.
The US links cryptocurrency attacks to the financing of North Korean weapons programmes
US intelligence agencies and international research firms have repeatedly accused North Korean hacking groups of stealing cryptocurrencies to raise funds whilst circumventing international sanctions.
According to estimates by the analytics firm Elliptic, cybercriminals linked to North Korea stole cryptocurrencies worth approximately $7.6 billion during 2026.
Analysts suggest that some of these funds may be used to finance the DPRK’s military programmes, in particular the development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
At the same time Pyongyang has consistently denied any involvement in international cyber-attacks and the unlawful appropriation of digital assets.
The new allegations have emerged against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s attempts to re-establish diplomatic ties with Kim Jong-un. North Korea has not yet responded publicly to the proposals in question.
As of 3 November, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has officially attributed responsibility for the attack to North Korea, although Pyongyang denies these allegations. Binance is continuing to restore users’ asset balances and expand their access to transactions. The company has also promised to publish a detailed report on the circumstances of the hack.
