In 2025, North Korea Pilfered More Than $2B in Cryptocurrency Despite a Decline in Certified Assaults: Analysis by Chainalysis

Chainalysis reports a significant increase in global cryptocurrency theft in 2025, with over $3.4B stolen between January and early December, marking it as one of the worst years for crypto-related crime. A substantial part of this was due to the Bybit incident, which accounted for roughly $1.5B. The year also saw a shift in losses, with personal wallet compromises rising from 7.3% in 2022 to 44% in 2024. However, 2025 saw a tilt back to centralized services due to the Bybit incident. Despite fewer incidents, these platforms accounted for 88% of the stolen value in Q1 2025. The year also saw North Korea's dominance as a threat actor, with DPRK-linked hackers stealing at least $2.02B in cryptocurrency, a 51% YoY increase.