North Korean hackers suspected of $351 million crypto heist from Bitget, the biggest this year

Bitget hit in Thursday cyberattack, loses over $351M

During a cyberattack on Thursday, North Korean hackers allegedly siphoned more than $351 million from the servers of cryptocurrency exchange Bitget. The incident marks the largest known digital‑currency theft of 2026, surpassing a $340 million breach in September in which the perpetrator ultimately returned all but $47 million of the stolen assets.

Details of the breach and Bitget’s response

Bitget disclosed in a series of posts on X that the intrusion involved the unauthorized movement of assets from its hot wallets, the internet‑connected storage used for active trading. In reaction, the platform has temporarily halted all crypto withdrawals. Bitget maintains a $464 million user protection fund, which the company says is sufficient to cover the loss.

CEO links attack to North Korean tactics

Bitget chief executive Gracy Chen said the breach displayed “highly consistent patterns with known North Korean hacker groups.” These collectives have a history of targeting cryptocurrency exchanges and exploiting open‑source software to launch mass attacks, allegedly to generate funds for the country’s nuclear weapons program.

North Korea dominates crypto theft landscape in 2026

Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs reports that North Korea is responsible for roughly three‑quarters of all cryptocurrency thefts recorded so far in 2026.

Uncertain timeline for restoring withdrawals

Chen did not provide a date for when Bitget’s withdrawal services will be reinstated.