Dubai-based cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has sued the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, its Reconnaissance General Bureau, and the Lazarus Group in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

The exchange alleged they stole about US$1.5 billion in Ethereum from Bybit on February 21, 2025.

Bybit said the court granted a preliminary injunction freezing certain assets allegedly linked to the hack and held by unidentified defendants.

The order bars those defendants from transferring or selling the assets while the civil case proceeds.

According to Chainalysis, North Korean hackers stole about US$2.02 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, including the Bybit attack, bringing total attributed thefts to about US$6.75 billion.

The stolen funds are widely believed to help finance North Korea’s weapons program.

🔗 Source: CoinDesk

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