North Korean Hackers Strike Bitget for $351M in Crypto
Crypto exchange Bitget has suffered a massive $351 million hack, marking the largest crypto theft of 2026 so far. The breach is attributed to North Korean state-sponsored hackers, adding another significant score to Pyongyang's growing crypto war chest.
The attack bears the hallmarks of North Korea's notorious Lazarus Group, which has systematically targeted crypto exchanges and DeFi protocols, stealing an estimated $3 billion since 2017 to fund the country's weapons programs and circumvent international sanctions.
Bitget's security team detected the breach early Friday morning when unusual withdrawal patterns triggered automated alerts. The attackers had already moved substantial amounts of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets through a sophisticated network of mixer services designed to obscure the funds' trail.
The exchange immediately halted all withdrawals and launched an investigation with help from Chainalysis and other blockchain forensics specialists.