North Korea denies allegations of involvement in cryptocurrency theft, despite being linked to the theft of over $570 million this year.

North Korea has denied allegations of involvement in cryptocurrency theft, calling them "absurd slander" and a "political tool." The statement, released by state media, emphasized that necessary measures would be taken to safeguard national interests. However, data from blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs shows that in the first four months of 2026, hacking groups linked to North Korea stole approximately $577 million, accounting for about 76% of global cryptocurrency theft losses during the same period. This includes two major attacks on KelpDAO ($292 million) and Drift Protocol ($285 million). TRM points out that these attacks are primarily linked to the Lazarus Group and its subsidiaries. Since 2017, North Korea-related cryptocurrency thefts have totaled over $6 billion. The US and international organizations generally believe that these funds were used to support military and missile programs. Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department recently imposed sanctions on related individuals and entities, involving approximately $800 million in illicit financial flows in 2024. (The Block)