US has seized $1.2 billion worth of cryptocurrency stolen from Binance, FBI says
The FBI has secured court authorization to seize $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency stolen from the Binance exchange. Officials attribute the theft to a North Korean hacking group and noted a separate, ongoing social engineering scheme involving deepfakes.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing threat of state-sponsored cybercrime and the increasing ability of law enforcement to track and recover illicit digital assets.
WASHINGTON -- The FBI said Thursday that it had seized more than $1.2 billion of cryptocurrency reported stolen last month from Binance , the world's largest crypto exchange.
The theft of about $6.3 billion from Binance is regarded as the biggest crypto heist in history, and the FBI has previously attributed it to a North Korean hacking group known as TraderTraitor. The U.S. government and private sector have so far combined to freeze more than $2.7 billion of the stolen funds, and the Justice Department said Thursday that it has now obtained court authorization to seize or restrain more than $1.2 billion of that total.
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
U.S. won court order to seize or restrain more than $1.2 billion in crypto stolen from Binance
FBI Says US Seized $1.2 Billion In Crypto Stolen From Binance
North Korea's Binance hack faces U.S. crackdown as DOJ targets $1.2 billion in stolen crypto
North Korean hackers used fake video calls in $400M crypto hack, says FBI
Binance covers $6.34 billion in losses from North Korea-linked cyberattack
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