North Korean Hackers Stole $6.34B from Binance

Binance has disclosed how suspected North Korean hackers pulled off what appears to be the largest crypto theft on record — $6.34 billion drained from its hot wallets across more than 10 blockchains in roughly 20 minutes on October 29. In a Tuesday security update, Binance traced the attack's origins to June, when hackers — attributed by the FBI to the TraderTraitor group — began their approach. The entry point: a fake job interview that tricked an engineer into downloading malicious software. From there, attackers worked through Binance's internal network, exploited an internal AI tool, and ultimately accessed a wallet signing service capable of authorizing transactions outside normal withdrawal procedures. "It was not a single isolated breach or a simple phishing incident," Binance wrote. The company apologized and says it has set aside funds to cover losses and has rebuilt affected systems. Almost half of the stolen funds were frozen by the broader crypto industry before hackers could move them — but billions remain under North Korean control. Laundering that sum could take months. Sophos threat intelligence director Rafe Pilling noted the attackers "didn't simply steal a wallet key" but systematically subverted Binance's authorization systems. Binance also disclosed it had detected and blocked 57 suspected North Korea-linked intrusion attempts earlier in 2026 alone.