A total of $2.2bn (£1.76bn) in cryptocurrencies has been stolen this year, with North Korean hackers accounting for more than half that figure, according to a new study. Research firm Chainalysis says hackers affiliated with the reclusive state stole $1.3bn of digital currencies – more than double last year’s haul. Some of the thefts appear to be linked to North Korean hackers posing as remote IT workers to infiltrate crypto and other technology firms, the report says. Overall, the amount of cryptocurrency stolen by hackers in 2024 increased by 21% from last year but it was still below the levels recorded in 2021 and 2022, the report said. The majority of crypto stolen this year was due to compromised private keys – which are used to control access to users’ assets on crypto platforms. Some of the most significant incidents this year included the theft of the equivalent of $300m in bitcoin from Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, DMM Bitcoin, and the loss of nearly $235m from WazirX, an India-based crypto exchange. The US government has said the North Korean regime resorts to cryptocurrency theft and other forms of cybercrime to circumvent international sanctions and raise money.
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