North Korea has risen to third place in the world for bitcoin reserves

^{Photo: Image created by artificial intelligence}
North Korea has risen to third place among the largest bitcoin holders in the world, only behind the US and the UK. This sharp increase is mainly attributed to the successes of North Korean hackers in stealing cryptocurrency, according to The Times.

According to data from Arkham Intelligence, a study conducted using artificial intelligence to identify cryptocurrency wallet ownership showed that the North Korean hacker group Lazarus (also known as TraderTraitor) owns 13,580 bitcoins. Today, this amount is estimated to be worth approximately $1.15 billion.

As a result, North Korea holds the third position in the world in terms of cryptocurrency reserves. The US ranks first with a reserve of $16.5 billion, while the UK is in second place with a reserve of around $5 billion.

At the same time, the US and the UK have primarily acquired these crypto-assets through funds confiscated from criminals.

The Lazarus Group is considered one of the most successful criminal cyber gangs in the world. The funds obtained through its hacking activities serve as a crucial financial resource for Kim Jong Un's regime, including being used to finance weapons of mass destruction programs.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reported that Lazarus stole $1.6 billion worth of Ethereum in an attack on the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit. This amount exceeds North Korea's military budget for 2023 ($1.4 billion).

This is the largest cyber theft identified to date. The previous record was held by the $1 billion stolen from the Central Bank of Iraq by Saddam Hussein in 2003.

According to TRM Labs, which specializes in cryptocurrency security, 35% of the £1.7 billion stolen in cryptocurrency worldwide in February 2025 is attributed to hacker groups linked to the North Korean government.