3 billion in 6 years: That's how much crypto North Korea stole

North Korean hacker armies plunder the crypto industry. This has long been known. A new report from Recorded Future now documents the full extent. Three billion US dollars in six years: That's how much North Korean hackers have stolen, mostly through hacks and scams.

According to the report, North Korea has been targeting industry since 2017. 2022 was the most profitable year: $1.7 billion was stolen. The Axie Infinity hack accounted for more than half a billion US dollars. In total, this amounted to nearly five percent of North Korea's gross domestic product. Half of the money was allegedly funneled to Kim Jong-Un's military.

The most dangerous hacker group of all is the Lazarus group. Lazarus is estimated to have stolen nearly half a billion dollars again this year. The group is believed to be behind the hack of Polinex (US$130 million) and several other platforms sitting.