North Korea-linked hackers were responsible for stealing an estimated $2.02 billion in 2025. This significant amount of illicit funds places them as the leading perpetrators of cryptocurrency theft globally for that year.

The Scale of State-Sponsored Cybercrime

The $2.02 billion figure highlights the substantial scale of financial cybercrime activities attributed to groups associated with North Korea. These state-sponsored hacking operations often target cryptocurrency platforms and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols to generate revenue, circumventing international sanctions.

Global Impact of Crypto Theft

The consistent and large-scale cryptocurrency theft by North Korea-linked entities has a profound impact on the global financial ecosystem and the reputation of digital assets. The funds acquired through these illicit means are reportedly used to finance various state initiatives. The incident was reported in December 2025, summarizing the year’s activities.

Source: https://thehackernews.com/2025/12/north-korea-linked-hackers-steal-202.html