TechCrypto
Binance says hackers who stole billions in crypto spent months planning heist
Publication: Ars Technica - All content
Author: Dan Goodin
Source published: 04/11/2026, 16:06:03 UTC
Briefing created: 04/11/2026, 16:31:32 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 04/11/2026, 16:28:24 UTC.
Briefings
Binance confirmed a cryptocurrency theft involving $6.34 billion in assets, attributed to North Korean actors who spent months planning and executing the attack using social engineering and novel malware. The exchange has frozen $2.85 billion of the stolen funds, with the remaining $3.49 billion covered by reserves. The incident occurred between June and last Thursday, marking the largest single cryptocurrency theft in history.
Key points
- The theft targeted $6.34 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance wallets, representing the largest sum ever targeted in a cryptocurrency theft.
- Advanced persistent threat actors began the attack no later than June and successfully compromised an engineer's laptop to withdraw assets by last Thursday.
Context
This incident involved North Korean actors who used sophisticated methods including social engineering and novel malware to infiltrate the exchange. The FBI and TRM Security firm attributed the attack to North Korean actors, and Binance has set aside funds to cover the loss while providing a link to a Proof of Reserves page.
Limitations
Evidence covers the theft timeline from June to last Thursday but does not specify the exact number of days or the precise date of the final compromise. The source does not provide details on the specific malware types used or the number of wallets compromised.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 04/11/2026, 16:31:32 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
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