Bybit Sues North Korea Over $1.5 Billion Crypto Hack

Crypto exchange Bybit has filed a civil lawsuit against North Korea, its Reconnaissance General Bureau, and the Lazarus Group over a $1.5 billion cyberattack that occurred in February 2025. The attack compromised one of Bybit's suppliers and resulted in the theft of approximately 401,000 Ethereum tokens worth around $1.5 billion at the time.

Bybit has stated that it has recovered $48.4 million in stolen assets so far, while an additional $30.5 million has been frozen across over 28 exchanges and custodians pending further legal and investigative action.

The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia and targets the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, its intelligence agency, and the Lazarus Group, which US authorities have linked to the attack. The court has granted a preliminary injunction, freezing identified stolen assets while Bybit pursues further recovery.

Bybit's Co-founder and CEO, Ben Zhou, stated that 'the Lazarus attack wasn't just an attack on Bybit. It was an attack on trust in our industry.' He added that the exchange hopes this marks a step towards making crypto a safer place for everyone else.