North Korea holds $1.13b in bitcoin

North Korea has become one of the largest state holders of bitcoin, surpassing Bhutan and El Salvador.

According to recent data from Arkham Intelligence, the country’s Lazarus Group controls approximately 13,518 BTC, valued at around US$1.13 billion.

This increase in holdings is linked to the hacking group’s US$1.4 billion exploit of the crypto exchange Bybit on Feb.21, 2023.

Following the hack, the group converted a significant portion of stolen ether to bitcoin, primarily using the decentralized finance platform THORChain.

Recent Bybit developments

Timeline
24-Feb-2025 🔒 Bybit CEO guarantees 80% of stolen ethereum recovered Bybit confirms funds are secure after hack 80% of stolen Ethereum recovered via bridge loan
23-Feb-2025 💰 Bybit offers $140m bounty after $1.4b crypto hack Bybit offers 10% rewards for fund recovery Lazarus Group linked to $1.4B hack and laundering
22-Feb-2025 💸 Bybit hit by largest crypto heist, loses $1.5b Bybit lost $1.5 billion in crypto theft. Lazarus Group linked to the massive hack.
12-Jan-2025 🚫 Bybit suspends services in India amid new regulations Bybit suspends services for Indian users temporarily. Users can withdraw funds; trading services halted.
30-Dec-2024 ⚖️ Malaysia orders unregistered Bybit to cease operations Malaysia halts Bybit for unregistered operations Bybit has until Dec 11 to cease all activities

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Recent Bybit developments

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