Kim Yo Jong denies North Korea role in $6.4B Binance hack
Kim Yo Jong rejected the FBI’s attribution of the Oct. 29 Binance theft to TraderTraitor, while investigators trace funds and urge crypto services to block linked wallets.
The Blockheight Editors··2 min read
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, denied on Monday that North Korea was behind the Oct. 29 theft of more than $6 billion from Binance, disputing the FBI’s attribution of the attack to the TraderTraitor group, according to CoinDesk’s report. The FBI said the stolen assets were worth more than $6 billion; blockchain analytics firm Elliptic put the theft at $6.4 billion.
What did Kim Yo Jong say about the FBI’s claim?
Kim called the U.S. attribution a “trite provocation” and “absurd rhetoric,” according to her statement published by North Korean state news agency KCNA and quoted by CoinDesk. She accused Washington of linking North Korea to major cybercrime incidents.
Her denial followed the FBI’s Oct. 31 alert, which attributed the Binance theft to North Korea and named the activity TraderTraitor. The agency identified wallet addresses it said were operated by or closely connected to the group, but CoinDesk reported that the FBI has not released its full forensic findings.
How are investigators tracking the stolen assets?
The FBI said it had observed TraderTraitor actors converting stolen assets primarily into ether. The agency said it expected further laundering through decentralized finance and instant swap services, and urged exchanges, node operators and other crypto services to block transactions linked to the listed addresses.
Elliptic told CoinDesk that $2.85 billion of the stolen funds had been frozen or seized. The firm said its on-chain analysis supported the FBI’s attribution, while investigators continued tracking the remaining money and sharing wallet addresses with crypto businesses.
What remains unresolved?
The full forensic evidence behind the FBI’s attribution has not been made public, and North Korea disputes the allegation. The FBI and its partners are asking crypto services to block transfers tied to the identified wallets as investigators continue to trace the funds.
Source material
- CoinDesk’s report — coindesk.com