FBI links Binance crypto theft to North Korean hacker group

Ulviyya Poladova

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The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accused of being behind the theft of cryptocurrency from the Binance exchange, attributing the attack to the North Korean hacking group TraderTraitor.

According to the FBI, the attackers are transferring most of the stolen funds into Ethereum. The cryptocurrency could then be laundered through digital asset exchange services and decentralised finance platforms, the agency said.

However, US President Donald Trump has questioned the FBI’s assessment that North Korean hackers were responsible for the breach.

"We are looking into it right now. We don't know if it was North Korea, but if it was, we'll discuss that issue with North Korea," Trump said.

Crypto prices fell on Friday, as Binance, which runs the world’s largest crypto exchange, sought to reassure customers their funds were safe.

Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said on Friday that the breach was a "complex attack" involving a compromised laptop and malicious software designed to ?delete evidence of its activity, making it hard to trace and investigate.

Image: Romain Doucelin/NurPhoto