North Korea Hacks Made Up 89% of 2026 Crypto Losses: Chainalysis

North Korea-linked hackers were behind nearly 89% of reported crypto hack losses in 2026, up sharply from just 15% in 2021, according to data from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis released on October 30, 2026, as covered by Crypto Briefing.

Chainalysis compiled reported crypto hack losses spanning 2021 through October 29, 2026, arriving at an estimated $22.34 billion total. Of that sum, suspected North Korea-linked activity accounted for roughly $13.24 billion, or about 59% of losses across the full period. The firm's figures also show the average size of a suspected North Korea-linked hack rising from $50.65 million in 2021 to $185.65 million so far in 2026, more than three times as large over five years.

A Binance hack dated October 29, 2026, with estimated losses between $6.3 billion and $6.4 billion, and a Bitget exploit in September 2026 that cost $387 million anchor this year's numbers. Chainalysis ties both incidents to the TraderTraitor group and describes attackers relying on social engineering and laundering funds across multiple chains.

A separate analytics firm, TRM Labs, estimates North Korea's share of this year's total hack value at around 85% and puts the country's cumulative crypto theft since 2017 at $12.8 billion to $13.5 billion, including $7.4 billion taken so far in 2026. Crypto Briefing notes that the firms rely on different methodologies, producing differing totals. It remains unconfirmed whether the Binance and Bitget cases are the only major North Korea-linked attacks of the year, and the status of any fund recovery was not disclosed.