North Korean Hackers Steal Over $609M in Cryptocurrency, Half of Global Losses

North Korean cybercriminals have been responsible for more than half of all cryptocurrency theft in the first six months of 2026. According to a report from Blockaid, a U.S.-Israeli blockchain security firm, North Korean-linked actors stole approximately $609 million between January and June.

This figure accounts for about 55% of the total $1.1 billion lost in verified cryptocurrency exploits during the same period. The activity is attributed to TraderTraitor, a subgroup of North Korea's Lazarus cybercrime group that specializes in cryptocurrency-focused attacks.

The report highlights the continued reliance on sophisticated cyber theft by North Korean actors despite a broader decline in overall losses. Blockaid notes that North Korean hackers have been using tried-and-tested social engineering tactics to carry out these attacks.