North Korea Behind Most 2026 Crypto Losses

Hackers linked to North Korea are believed to be responsible for a large portion of the cryptocurrency stolen since the beginning of 2026. During the first half of the year, they reportedly stole approximately $643 million, representing nearly two-thirds of the funds stolen in the sector. Two major attacks account for the bulk of these losses: Drift, with approximately $285 million stolen, and KelpDAO, with nearly $292 million. These figures demonstrate once again that North Korean groups, particularly those associated with Lazarus, pose a major threat to the crypto ecosystem. For investors and DeFi platforms, these attacks underscore the importance of strengthening the security of smart contracts and the infrastructure used to store and transfer funds.