FBI Links $6.34B Binance Heist to Tradertraitor Tactics
WHO:
The Guardian - Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said the U.S. allegations were “absurd rhetoric and nothing new.”
The Guardian - Binance apologized to users, partners, and the wider industry, saying, “This should not have happened.”
Wired - Binance said suspected North Korean attackers were responsible for the theft.
Wired - The attackers targeted a Binance engineer.
NewsBTC - The FBI attributed the theft to North Korean actors associated with the TraderTraitor operation.
The Washington Post - A Binance engineer spoke with a purported CEO of a prospective new employer.
WHAT:
The Guardian - Binance said $2.85 billion of the $6.34 billion taken from its crypto wallets had been frozen or intercepted.
The Guardian - North Korea’s state news agency KCNA quoted Kim Yo-jong as saying the U.S. was misleading international public opinion by implying that North Korea was responsible for cybercrimes worldwide.
Wired - Binance said hackers stole $6.34 billion.
NewsBTC - The FBI said the North Korean actors were responsible for stealing more than $6 billion.
The Washington Post - Attackers used malware and a bogus job interview to obtain access and steal $6.3 billion from Binance.
WHEN:
NewsBTC - The FBI made its attribution on October 31.
WHY:
Wired - According to Binance, the attackers sought to gain a foothold in the crypto firm’s system and steal billions.
HOW:
The Guardian - Binance said an engineer inadvertently downloaded malware in June, exposing information about the employee and colleagues on the team responsible for its wallet infrastructure.
The Guardian - On October 20, an attacker used a compromised computer and Binance’s internal AI tool to gain control of one engineer’s system and a second wallet developer’s system.
The Guardian - On October 29, the attacker used the second developer’s computer, credentials stolen from the first engineer, and a malicious script to launch the attack.
Wired - The attackers allegedly duped an engineer with a fake job interview and a malicious download to access Binance’s system.
The Washington Post - The interview began with a live video call that seemed legitimate, followed by a second interview on a popular social chat app.
The Washington Post - During the second interview, the engineer spoke with the prospective employer’s purported CEO.
The Washington Post - The engineer was then asked to download code onto a work computer as part of a technical interview test.
(UPDATED November 4, 2026 02:06 UTC)
North Korean hackers stole $6.34 billion from Binance through a bogus job interview. The FBI blamed the TraderTraitor operation, while Binance says $2.85 billion was frozen or intercepted. Kim Yo-jong rejected the U.S. allegations, calling them “absurd rhetoric and nothing new.”
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(UPDATED November 3, 2026 22:06 UTC)
North Korean hackers stole more than six billion dollars from cryptocurrency exchange Binance. They allegedly targeted an engineer through a fake job interview and malicious software. The FBI attributed the theft to North Korean actors linked to TraderTraitor.