North Korea denies involvement in Binance hack, criticizes FBI probe

North Korea has denied any involvement in the massive cryptocurrency heist that targeted Binance, dismissing the U.S. claim as a "trite provocation." The exchange reported that hackers stole more than $6 billion in what is believed to be the largest theft of its kind. The FBI later attributed the attack to a hacking group known as TraderTraitor, which was also responsible for a $1.5 billion hack of the Bybit exchange last year.

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called the FBI's announcement "absurd rhetoric," stating that the U.S. is attempting to spread misunderstanding about North Korea's role in cybercrime. The North Korean leader's sister also noted that the U.S. has a hostile attitude towards North Korea, and the country will closely monitor such provocations.

Experts suggest that North Korea has increasingly resorted to cryptocurrency theft and other illicit cyber activities as a source of much-needed foreign currency to sustain its struggling economy and fund its nuclear program despite international sanctions.