North Korean hackers stole over $180 million in crypto during H1 2023: report

Quick Take

  • North Korea’s hackers illegally amassed $180 million in cryptocurrency exploits in the first half of this year, South Korean intelligence said.

North Korea continues to pose a significant threat in the realm of cryptocurrency exploits, as hackers from the country have illegally accumulated at least $180 million in the first six months of this year, according to the South Korean national intelligence agency.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service disclosed the figure during a press briefing today, as reported by local media outlet Asia Today.

Involvement of Lazarus Group

North Korean hacking organization, Lazarus Group, is among the most sought-after suspects in numerous crypto-related hacks. CoinsPaid, an entity linked to crypto payments processor Alphapo, disclosed that it endured a $37 million exploit last month, suspecting Lazarus Group as the culprit of the attack.

The U.S. government identified Lazarus as the principal offender in last year’s $600 million hack on Ronin, the blockchain that operates the play-to-earn game known as Axie Infinity. This group has been involved in theft from cryptocurrency users for several years.


© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

AUTHOR

Timmy Shen is an Asia editor for The Block. Previously, he wrote about crypto and Web3 for Forkast.News from Taiwan after spending more than three years in Beijing covering finance, entertainment business and current affairs at Caixin Global and Chinese tech at TechNode. His China-related reporting has also appeared in The Guardian. When he's not chasing headlines, you'll find him savoring hot pot and shabu shabu in a Taipei local haunt. Timmy holds an MS degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Send tips to [email protected] or get in touch on X/Telegram @timmyhmshen.

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To contact the editor of this story: Vishal Chawla at [email protected]

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