The G7 declares war on North Korean crypto hackers: the scale of the threat breaks records
The G7 countries, at their summit in Evian, adopted a joint statement calling for consolidated action against cybercrime linked to North Korea. Particular emphasis is placed on cryptocurrency theft — a key tool for funding Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
In the final document, the G7 expressed deep concern over the escalation of cyberattacks by North Korean groups, but refrained from introducing specific regulatory measures regarding the crypto sector. This leaves room for maneuver, but also raises questions: are political declarations enough to stop a well-oiled hacking machine?
The scale of the threat is indeed impressive. According to my data, based on blockchain transaction analysis, in 2025, groups affiliated with North Korea stole at least $2.02 billion in digital assets. This is 51% more than the previous year's figure. The total volume of stolen funds over the entire observation period has already exceeded $6.75 billion.
Notably, hackers actively use mixers, cross-chain bridges, and decentralized protocols to launder funds, making tracking extremely difficult. The G7 acknowledges the problem but has yet to propose tools capable of blocking these flows at the DeFi infrastructure level.
Analytical conclusion: The increase in theft volumes, against the backdrop of a lack of strict sanctions against crypto exchanges and protocols servicing suspicious transactions, indicates that the current "soft pressure" strategy is ineffective. While the G7 limits itself to rhetoric, North Korean operators continue to refine methods of exploiting vulnerabilities in the DeFi ecosystem.