FBI Links $6.3 Billion Binance Theft to North Korea-Linked Group

The FBI has attributed the October 29 theft of about $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance to TraderTraitor, a group the bureau links to North Korean cyber activity. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected the accusation on Monday, calling it a political provocation. The FBI issued its attribution in an alert on October 31, saying it had observed the stolen assets being converted primarily into Ethereum. The bureau published wallet addresses linked to the funds and urged cryptocurrency exchanges and other services to block transactions involving them. Its alert identifies the activity as TraderTraitor, a name the agency uses for North Korea-linked cyber operations. The attribution is disputed. Kim said the allegation was an attempt to portray North Korea as responsible for cybercrime and damage its international image. Her statement was carried by North Korea’s state news agency, KCNA. President Donald Trump also said the United States did not yet know whether North Korea was responsible and that investigators were still examining the incident. The FBI’s claim is an official attribution, not independently established evidence in the public...