Science & Tech · Cybersecurity · 50 mins ago
FBI says it seized $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency stolen from Binance
The FBI says it seized more than $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency stolen from Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange.
The theft, reported last month, involved about $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency and is regarded as the biggest crypto heist in history.
The FBI has attributed the theft to TraderTraitor, a hacking group linked to North Korea.
The US government and private companies have frozen more than $2.7 billion of the stolen funds so far.
A court has authorized the Justice Department to seize or restrain more than $1.2 billion, and a judge will decide who can claim recovered funds.
US officials also say a separate North Korean scheme stole $400 million in cryptocurrency over the past 18 months.
The U.S. government obtained court authorization to seize or restrain more than $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency stolen in the Binance heist.
The FBI said the theft of about $6.3 billion from Binance was carried out by the North Korean hacking group TraderTraitor.
U.S. officials and private-sector partners have frozen more than $2.7 billion of the stolen funds.
The FBI also linked a separate North Korean scheme called FaceStealer to more than $400 million in cryptocurrency theft over 18 months.
- Who
- The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice. The FBI attributed the Binance theft to the North Korean group TraderTraitor.
- What
- The U.S. government obtained court authorization to seize or restrain more than $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency stolen from Binance.
- When
- Thursday, November 12, 2026.
- Where
- The theft targeted Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. The location of the stolen cryptocurrency is not stated.
- Why
- The action is part of efforts to recover stolen funds and disrupt North Korean cryptocurrency theft.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Binance was hit by the cryptocurrency theft, which the FBI attributed to TraderTraitor.
About $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency was reported stolen from Binance.
The U.S. government said it had court authorization to seize or restrain more than $1.2 billion of the stolen funds.
- Binance heist
- About $6.3 billion stolen
- Court-authorized amount
- More than $1.2 billion
- Funds frozen
- More than $2.7 billion
- Suspected group
- TraderTraitor, attributed by the FBI to North Korea
- FaceStealer theft
- More than $400 million over 18 months
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North Korean hackers are increasingly blending cyber intrusion, social engineering, and emerging technologies such as deep fakes to make their impersonation efforts more convincing and scalable.