Global cryptocurrency crime is accelerating, and stolen funds by North Korea are making 2025 poised to become the worst year on record, according to a new industry study.
Blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis recently published data as part of its “2025 Crypto Crime Mid-year Update” report.
In the first half of the year, more than $2.17 billion had been taken from cryptocurrency services, surpassing the total amount stolen in all of 2024. Additionally, 17 percent more had been taken year-to-date than the previous worst year on record: 2022.
A February crypto theft, the largest in history, accounts for about 70 percent of this year’s stolen funds.
North Korea’s Lazarus Group, a state-sponsored hacking entity, employed an elaborate multi-faceted scheme to steal $1.5 billion from Dubai-based crypto exchange Bybit….
North Korea Leads Global Crypto Hack Surge in First Half of 2025
