North Korea denies involvement in $6.3 billion Binance crypto hack
Kim Yo-jong dismissed US allegations linking the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the record-breaking theft as absurd rhetoric.
North Korea has denied claims that it orchestrated the $6.3 billion hack of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, according to BBC News. Kim Yo-jong, the director of North Korea's General Affairs Department and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, called the accusations an "absurd rhetoric" and a "sinister attempt" by the US to damage the country's image on Tuesday.
The FBI, the Secret Service, and cyber analysts have attributed the heist to a state-backed hacking group known as TraderTraitor. The FBI stated that the group was also behind a $1.5 billion hack of the Bybit exchange last year. The bureau has asked industry partners to block transactions linked to the group's addresses to prevent money laundering.
While US investigators have linked the attack to North Korean activity, US President Donald Trump suggested uncertainty regarding the perpetrator. Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday night, Trump said, "We don't know if it's North Korea," though he noted that investigators could still determine it was.
Binance said the breach occurred after an engineer's laptop was compromised, allowing unauthorised withdrawals. The exchange has worked with issuers to freeze impacted assets and has resumed trading in major cryptocurrencies. Binance stated it has covered around 95 per cent of the stolen assets and promised to fully reimburse customers.