Bybit Sues North Korea Over $1.5 Billion Crypto Heist
Bybit, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has filed a civil lawsuit against North Korea and its Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) in connection with the $1.5 billion theft that occurred in February 2025.
The lawsuit accuses North Korea and the Lazarus Group of orchestrating the cyberattack, and Bybit has secured a preliminary injunction freezing identified stolen assets held by unknown individuals and entities, known as John Doe defendants.
The court found that 'Bybit has demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits' in its lawsuit, and the order preserves identified stolen digital assets while the litigation continues.
Ben Zhou, Co-founder and CEO of Bybit, stated, 'Our focus has never changed: protect our users first, recover what we can, and make sure the people behind these attacks are held accountable.'