North Korean Leader’s Sister Denies Role in $6.4B Binance Hack

North Korea has rejected allegations that it was behind the $6.4 billion cryptocurrency theft from Binance, accusing the United States of using cybercrime claims to damage its international reputation.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, described the FBI’s attribution of the attack to North Korean hackers as “a trite provocation” and “absurd rhetoric” in a statement released Tuesday through state media.

She accused Washington of repeatedly linking North Korea to major international cyberattacks without sufficient evidence and said Pyongyang was monitoring what she described as continued US provocations.

The FBI identified a North Korean hacking operation known as TraderTraitor as responsible for the Binance attack, which took place last week.

Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis also attributed the theft to TraderTraitor, estimating that approximately $6.4 billion was stolen across multiple blockchains.

Its investigation found that the attackers moved funds through thousands of transactions and converted some stolen stablecoins into Ether (CRYPTO: $ETH) as they attempted to avoid asset freezes.

The incident adds to a growing list of major cryptocurrency thefts attributed to North Korean hackers. TraderTraitor was also linked to the $1.5 billion Bybit hack in February 2025.

Chainalysis estimated that North Korean hackers stole $2.02 billion in cryptocurrency during 2025 alone, bringing their cumulative thefts to $6.75 billion at the time.

Western governments have repeatedly accused Pyongyang of using cybercrime to generate foreign currency and finance its weapons programs despite international sanctions. North Korea has consistently denied such allegations.

The dispute comes as US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in restoring diplomatic ties with Kim Jong Un. Trump said Tuesday that investigators had not yet established North Korea’s involvement in the Binance theft, adding that they were still examining the incident.