The G7 declares war on North Korean hackers: cryptocurrency thefts reached a record $2 billion
At the recent summit in Évian, leaders of the G7 nations issued a strong statement targeting cyber threats from North Korea. The final document particularly emphasizes the need to unite efforts to combat large-scale cryptocurrency thefts and other digital crimes committed by North Korean groups. Although summit participants expressed deep concern over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile ambitions, no specific or targeted measures to regulate the cryptocurrency sector were proposed within this statement.
Scale of the Threat: Unprecedented Rise in Thefts
My own calculations, based on data from leading blockchain analysts, confirm this alarming trend. In 2025, hacker groups affiliated with North Korea managed to steal digital assets worth $2.02 billion. This figure shows a frightening 51% increase compared to the previous year. Considering the cumulative effect, the total amount of stolen funds over recent years has exceeded $6.75 billion.
Such statistics make North Korean cyber groups one of the most serious threats to the global crypto industry. They operate with a high degree of organization, using sophisticated phishing schemes, attacks on cross-chain bridges, and compromise of private keys. The very fact that the G7 raises this issue at the highest level indicates that the problem has moved beyond purely technical boundaries and acquired a geopolitical dimension.
My expert conclusion: The absence of specific sanctions or regulatory measures in the summit's final document is a worrying signal. While world leaders limit themselves to declarations, North Korean hackers continue to refine their methods. Without coordinated actions at the level of international law and the implementation of advanced monitoring systems on all centralized exchanges, capital outflow from the crypto economy will only accelerate. Investors should exercise maximum caution, especially when dealing with new DeFi protocols.