North Korea arrests hackers accused of laundering stolen funds from country's bank via crypto

North Korean authorities have arrested a group of former military hackers accused of stealing funds from two state banks and laundering the money through cryptocurrency. According to a report from Daily NK, which cites an anonymous source in Pyongyang, the group breached the internal systems of the Central Bank of the DPRK and the Foreign Trade Bank. They allegedly diverted foreign currency and state trade funds into overseas cryptocurrency wallets. This report has not been independently verified.

The laundering operation reportedly involved Chinese brokers who converted the stolen crypto assets into U.S. dollars and Chinese yuan. Contacts in border cities such as Sinuiju and Hyesan allegedly exchanged cryptocurrency for cash in real time. The hackers used techniques to evade detection by splitting transfers into small amounts and communicating via encrypted messaging apps, unregistered phones, and Chinese wireless equipment.

North Korea’s National Intelligence Agency detained the suspects on July 12 at a safe house in Pyongyang after officials noticed irregularities in foreign currency payment approvals and suspicious overseas IP activity. The laundering methods described in the report are consistent with tactics previously used by North Korean hacking groups to cash out stolen cryptocurrency.

The source highlights that North Korean hackers continue to be significant actors in global crypto exploits, responsible for a substantial majority of hack and scam losses through early 2026. This development underscores ongoing concerns about the use of cryptocurrencies in laundering illicit funds linked to state-sponsored hacking activities.