Across a sprawling, ever-more-digital economy, a single theft has grown large enough to draw two governments into a familiar old quarrel. When the FBI named North Korea's state-linked TraderTraitor unit as the hand behind a $6.3 billion heist from the exchange Binance, Pyongyang answered through Kim Yo Jong, who dismissed the charge as absurd and recycled, one more chapter in a long argument about who may be trusted to speak of order and crime. Beneath the accusation lies a quieter truth: the same hostility that makes denial easy also keeps the door to summit diplomacy shut, and the money, onc
Pyongyang denies FBI claim it staged the Binance heist, calling US accusations 'absurd rhetoric'
Absurd rhetoric and nothing new
Mark
Kim Yo Jong's statement is blunt. What exactly is she denying?
Mimi
That North Korea carried out the Binance hack at all. She says the FBI is trying to brand the country a 'cyber criminal state' and that blaming it for cybercrime around the world is a grave political provocation.
Mark
And the FBI's claim is specific, isn't it?
Mimi
It names a unit, TraderTraitor, and says it watched the group convert stolen assets into Ethereum and expects further laundering.
Luke
Worth noting that what we have is the FBI's statement, not published evidence. The reporting doesn't show how the bureau made the attribution.
Mark
So the denial and the accusation are both just statements for now?
Luke
Essentially. Experts say North Korean hackers are prolific thieves, but that's a general view, not proof about this heist.
Mimi
The warning about 'issues to reconsider' is the part that points forward, though.
Luke
And it's unspecified. We don't know what she means, so any reading of it is guesswork.
Mark
What about Binance itself?
Mimi
Customers pulled out a net $3.64 billion in about nine and a half hours after withdrawals reopened, and the company says it recovered 90 per cent of the stolen assets using its own money.
Luke
That recovery figure is Binance's own claim, and the report doesn't say how it was verified.
Le Pouls
- A $6.3 billion theft from Binance has the crypto world on edge, with withdrawals surging the moment the exchange reopened.
- Washington has named North Korea's TraderTraitor unit, and Pyongyang has answered with fierce public denial and talk of a political provocation.
- Investigators say the stolen assets are being converted into Ethereum and will be laundered further, racing against the clock to trace them.
- Binance insists markets are stable and claims 90 per cent of the funds have been recovered, while Kim's vague warning of 'issues to reconsider' leaves Trump's summit overture hanging.
Across a sprawling, ever-more-digital economy, a single theft has grown large enough to draw two governments into a familiar old quarrel. When the FBI named North Korea's state-linked TraderTraitor unit as the hand behind a $6.3 billion heist from the exchange Binance, Pyongyang answered through Kim Yo Jong, who dismissed the charge as absurd and recycled, one more chapter in a long argument about who may be trusted to speak of order and crime. Beneath the accusation lies a quieter truth: the same hostility that makes denial easy also keeps the door to summit diplomacy shut, and the money, once in motion, is now the question of how far it will travel.
North Korea has answered the FBI with a sharp public denial. Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, rejected American claims that Pyongyang was behind the theft of about $6.3 billion from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, calling the accusation "absurd rhetoric" and "nothing new." She framed it as proof that Washington remains hostile and as an attempt to brand the DPRK a "cyber criminal state."
The hack, carried out last week, is thought to be the largest financial heist in history. The FBI says the state-sponsored unit TraderTraitor was responsible and has watched it convert stolen assets into Ethereum, expecting further laundering. Cybersecurity experts say North Korean hackers are among the most prolific crypto thieves, with proceeds helping fund weapons programs. Pyongyang has denied every such allegation.
Kim also warned, without specifics, that North Korea had "issues to reconsider" in light of what she called US hostility. The remark comes as Pyongyang remains silent on President Trump's offers to resume summit diplomacy.
On the Binance side, withdrawals resumed after a temporary suspension, and customers moved quickly, with billions flowing out in a single morning. The exchange says it has recovered 90 per cent of the stolen assets and that market conditions remain stable. What to watch now is whether the FBI reveals more about the laundering, and what Pyongyang intends with its warning.
North Korea has answered the FBI. In a statement carried by its state media, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, rejected American claims that Pyongyang was behind the theft of $US6.3 billion (about $9 billion) from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. She called the accusation "absurd rhetoric" and "nothing new," and offered it as further proof that Washington remains hostile to her country.
The hack, which took place last week, is thought to be the largest financial heist in history. On Saturday, the FBI said a North Korean state-sponsored unit known as TraderTraitor carried out the attack and made off with billions in crypto. The bureau said it had watched TraderTraitor convert stolen assets into Ethereum and expected the group to launder them further.
Kim's statement took direct aim at the way the FBI framed it. She said the bureau was trying to brand the DPRK a "cyber criminal state," claiming it had information that a hacking organization "supported" by the DPRK was involved. She called it a grave political provocation that the United States misleads international opinion "as if all the cyber crimes in different parts of the world are our deeds."
The FBI, for its part, said it maintains its commitment to protecting the virtual asset community by identifying, mitigating and disrupting North Korea's illicit cybercrime and virtual asset theft activities. Cybersecurity experts say North Korean hackers are among the world's most prolific crypto thieves, and that the proceeds help fund the country's weapons programs. North Korea has denied every allegation linking it to cryptocurrency theft and other cybercrime.
Kim also issued a warning without specifics. In light of what she called the "very unpleasant US hostile attitude," she said North Korea had "issues to reconsider." She did not say which issues. The remark lands while Pyongyang stays silent on US President Donald Trump's offers to resume summit diplomacy between the two countries, and experts have indicated North Korea may be weighing its options.
On the Binance side, the exchange lifted its temporary suspension of withdrawals on Sunday, and customers moved quickly. In a post on X, the company said that between 06:00 and 15:30 UTC on November 1 it processed $4.649 billion in withdrawals and $1.01 billion in deposits, a net outflow of roughly $3.64 billion. Reporting on the withdrawals put the figure at about $US4.64 billion ($6.6 billion).
Binance said its team was still rigorously testing the remaining networks and assets, and urged customers to rest assured that market conditions are stable. The company also said it had recovered 90 per cent of the stolen assets by using company money.
What to watch now is twofold: whether the FBI offers more detail on the laundering it says it expects, and what Pyongyang means by issues to reconsider, particularly with Trump's summit offers still unanswered.
Citations marquantes
The US assertion is absurd rhetoric and nothing new.— Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un, via North Korean state media
Rest assured that market conditions are stable.— Binance, in a post on X
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation ↗
Technology