North Korean Hackers Took $7.61 Billion in 2026 Without Breaking Any Code

North Korean hackers stole an estimated $7.61 billion in crypto across 38 incidents between January and October 2026, blockchain intelligence firm BitOK says. In all six major attacks, they hijacked the people and systems that sign withdrawals instead of exploiting code. Freezes and seizures caught $2.86 billion, leaving $4.75 billion beyond reach. Binance alone accounts for $6.41 billion of the total, while 32 smaller thefts against individuals and firms add up to $178.4 million. Why Code Audits Did Not Stop North Korean Hackers According to the BitOK report, every withdrawal in the six largest attacks carried valid signatures or passed standard checks. At Binance, the entry point was a DevOps engineer’s laptop and a signing-service container. That matches earlier findings on how the hack happened in October.

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