North Korea rejected allegations of involvement in major crypto project hacks.
A ministry spokesman said the US is trying to create a false narrative about a North Korean “cyber threat.”
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North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has sharply rejected allegations of involvement in major crypto project hacks, calling them “absurd slander” and a “political tool” of Washington. A ministry spokesman stated that the US is trying to create a false narrative about a North Korean “cyber threat.”
“The US authorities are trying to spread a false impression of the DPRK throughout the international community,” the official statement, published by KCNA, said.
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Pyongyang emphasized that the country adheres to a principled position on protecting cyberspace.
“Our principled position is to protect cyberspace, the common property of humanity, from any malicious actions. We are strongly opposed to attempts to use cyber issues as a political tool to violate sovereignty and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.”
Scale of the Allegations
According to TRM Labs, North Korea-linked groups stole approximately $577M in the first four months of 2026—accounting 76% of all crypto industry losses during the period. Since 2017, total damages have exceeded $6B.
Among the largest attacks in April were the $292M Kelp DAO hack, attributed to TraderTraitor, which is linked to the Lazarus Group, and the $285M Drift Protocol exploit.
Read more: Hackers Stole $169 Million From 34 DeFi Protocols — DefiLlama Q1 Report
Reaction and Consequences
The UN and the United States believe the funds are used to finance North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. Last week, as part of Operation Economic Fury, US authorities seized approximately $500M in Iranian and North Korean cryptocurrency.
Despite the harsh rhetoric, Nobitex, Iran’s largest exchange, has not yet faced direct Western sanctions. Platform representatives deny any connection to the government and state that the share of illegal transactions is “very small.”
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