FBI attributes $6 billion-plus Binance theft to North Korea
The FBI says North Korea was behind the theft of over $6 billion from Binance, per Reuters via Tree News, as Binance targets Nov. 1 to restart withdrawals.
The FBI has said North Korea was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion in virtual assets from the crypto exchange Binance. Tree News relayed the statement and credited Reuters. BWEnews, unfolded and Watcher.Guru carried the same claim. Watcher.Guru put the size of the hack at $6.3 billion.
The Defiant reported that the bureau named TraderTraitor in its attribution. It also said the FBI sought blocks on the trail used to launder the stolen funds. The short headline-style posts from the other outlets did not give those details.
Trump's earlier comments
The attribution follows remarks from President Donald Trump. According to Wu Blockchain, on October 30 he addressed what it called Binance's reported $6.3 billion theft. He was speaking with reporters in the Oval Office. Asked whether North Korea was responsible, he said the U.S. was still investigating.
Wu Blockchain also reported that Trump said Binance had told him it would recover the stolen funds and had the situation largely under control. He added, "We'll see." He compared digital transactions with paper checks, saying people no longer see their money physically. He said he had always found that "a little bit dangerous."
The sources do not say what new information moved the matter from an open investigation to a formal attribution. BWEnews dated its repost 2026-11-01, but the other sources gave no exact time for the FBI statement.
What it means for traders
The Defiant said Binance had kept Nov. 1 as its target for restarting withdrawals. That suggests withdrawals were suspended after the theft, though the summary does not describe the suspension in detail. Traders with funds on the exchange will likely focus on whether that date holds.
The sources do not say which tokens were taken. They also do not say how the theft happened, whether customer balances were affected, or how much of the loss Binance expects to recover. The $6 billion-plus and $6.3 billion figures are both reported, and the sources do not explain the gap. It may just be rounding, but they do not say.
What to watch next
The first thing to watch is whether Binance reopens withdrawals on its Nov. 1 target. The second is whether the FBI's efforts to block the laundering trail lead to frozen or recovered funds. Trump's remarks on Oct. 30 show that Binance has promised recovery, but the sources do not show any recovery so far.
Traders should also look for fuller statements from Binance and the FBI. Most of the coverage so far rests on brief posts that cite Reuters. Details on the attack method, the affected assets and the scale of any recovery are still missing from these reports.
Sources
- Highlight Clip: Trump on Binance Hack: Says He Has Long Been Wary of Digital Money Risks Wu Blockchain
- FBI: NORTH KOREA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THEFT OF MORE THAN $6 BILLION USD IN VIRTUAL ASSETS FROM CRYPTOCURRENCY EXCHANGE BINANCE - RTRS Tree News
- Tree News: FBI: NORTH KOREA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THEFT OF MORE THAN $6 BILLION USD IN VIRTUAL ASSETS FROM CRYPTOCURRENCY EXCHANGE BINANCE - RTRS BWEnews
- FBI confirms North Korea is responsible for the $6,300,000,000 Binance crypto hack Watcher.Guru
- FBI: NORTH KOREA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THEFT OF MORE THAN $6 BILLION USD IN VIRTUAL ASSETS FROM CRYPTO EXCHANGE BINANCE unfolded
- FBI Attributes $6 Billion-Plus Binance Hack to North Korea The Defiant
Written with AI assistance from the sources above and checked against them. Not investment advice.