North Korea denies US claims it was behind the Binance hack

North Korea has rejected US allegations linking it to the multibillion-dollar theft from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, accusing Washington of using cybercrime claims to damage its international reputation, The Express Tribune reported, citing the state news agency KCNA.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un and a senior Workers’ Party official, called the allegations a “grave political provocation” in a statement carried by KCNA on Tuesday. She said the FBI was trying to portray North Korea as a “cyber criminal state” by alleging that a hacking group supported by Pyongyang was involved. “The US assertion is an absurd rhetoric and nothing new,” she said.

“Without credible evidence”

Kim accused Washington of routinely blaming North Korea for major cyberattacks around the world without offering credible evidence. She also cited US allegations linking Pyongyang to last year’s theft from the exchange Bybit.

She suggested that Washington stood to gain from recovering stolen cryptocurrency, pointing to US plans for a strategic cryptocurrency reserve. She said Pyongyang was closely monitoring US “provocations” and that Washington’s hostile attitude could lead it to reconsider its position on several issues, without saying which. The Tribune also pointed readers to a report that the FBI and the US Secret Service are working with Binance after the hack, according to a source.

What the US and investigators say

The FBI said at the weekend that the North Korean state-backed group TraderTraitor was responsible for the attack, in which about $6.3 billion was taken from Binance. We covered the first hours of the breach in our report on Binance freezing assets after the theft. Binance said an early investigation suggested a hacked laptop belonging to an engineer may have been where the attack began, and the blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs said North Korean hackers were behind it.

TRM Labs says North Korea-linked hackers have stolen about $7.4 billion in 2026 alone, and researchers say such thefts help fund the country’s weapons programmes. North Korea has repeatedly denied state-sponsored cyberattacks, while Washington says North Korean groups steal digital assets to finance weapons.

Where the money is

Analysts at the time said about half of the stolen funds were in stablecoins and had been frozen by their issuers, including more than $1.1 billion in USDC by Circle. Blockchain firm Elliptic said the hackers still held around $3.28 billion, mostly in bitcoin and ether, and that very little had been turned into ordinary currency.

Why this comes now

The exchange between Washington and Pyongyang comes amid wider tension on the Korean peninsula. Last month North Korea said a new missile test had used artificial intelligence, as we reported in our story on the AI missile test, and Kim Yo Jong has issued other warnings, such as the one in our report on the loudspeakers on the border.

What we know, and what we don’t

• Known: Kim Yo Jong has denied the allegations in a statement carried by KCNA, and called them a political provocation.
• Known: the FBI attributes the hack to TraderTraitor; Binance says it will cover customers’ losses.
• Unknown: what evidence the FBI has made public, and whether any funds will be recovered.
• Unknown: which “position” North Korea might reconsider, which her statement does not say.

Why it matters

The Binance theft is one of the largest in crypto history, and the dispute over who did it will shape how the US and its allies respond, from sanctions to pressure on exchanges. Pyongyang’s denial is expected: it has rejected such accusations before. What is new is the link Kim draws between the allegation and US policy on crypto, and the hint of a harder line. For crypto users, the main question remains how much of the money can be traced and frozen before it is cashed out.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune, citing KCNA.