North Korea Linked to $1 Billion in Virtual Asset Hacks This Year, Accounting for 66% of Global Losses

North Korean-linked hacking organizations have siphoned off an estimated $1 billion in virtual assets during the first half of 2026, constituting a significant 66% of global cryptocurrency theft for the period. Despite the substantial sum, this represents a notable decrease compared to the same period last year, with total losses falling to 37.8% of 2025's first-half figures.

According to a report by blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs, cited by Voice of America, North Korean-linked groups illicitly acquired $643 million in virtual assets between January and June. This amount makes up a dominant share of the global total of $972 million stolen in virtual asset hacks during the same timeframe.

The report highlights two major incidents attributed to these groups: a $285 million hack of the decentralized finance platform Drift in April and another $292 million hack targeting the platform KelpDAO. Combined, these two heists alone account for $577 million, underscoring the significant impact of North Korean cyber activities.

However, the overall value of virtual assets stolen by North Korean-linked groups has decreased substantially from the $1.7 billion reported in the first half of 2025. TRM Labs attributes this reduction not to a weakening of North Korea's offensive capabilities, but rather to a relative scarcity of mega-heists comparable to the $1.5 billion hack of the cryptocurrency exchange platform Bybit last year.