FBI Links North Korea’s TraderTraitor to Record $6.43 Billion Binance Crypto Heist
thehackernews.com Nov 1, 2026

FBI Links North Korea’s TraderTraitor to Record $6.43 Billion Binance Crypto Heist

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

The FBI announced that the North Korean‑aligned hacking collective known as TraderTraitor, also identified as Jade Sleet, Pressure Chollima, PUKCHONG, Slow Pisces and UNC4899, stole more than $6.43 billion in cryptocurrency across 11 blockchains. investigators from the FBI, U.S. Secret Service and IRS‑CI said the group primarily converted the loot into Ethereum before moving it through decentralized‑finance swaps and instant‑swap services for further laundering. Binance resumed phase‑one withdrawals after pausing them following the breach, noting that deposits remain unaffected. The theft surpasses the $1.46 billion Bybit hack and represents the largest crypto heist on record, with 82 % of the stolen value on Ethereum and Bitcoin. On‑chain analysis shows $2.85 billion of the assets have been frozen by Tether, Circle, Ripple, Arbitrum and Optimism.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · The haul demonstrates how state‑backed actors can weaponize decentralized finance to fund illicit programs, forcing regulators and exchanges to tighten cross‑chain monitoring.
  • · It also proves that even leading platforms like Binance can be disrupted by sophisticated supply‑chain attacks, reshaping risk assessments for the broader Web3 ecosystem.