North Korea’s Digital Surge: $2B Stolen in Crypto as Amazon Blocks 1,800 Fake IT Workers

North Korea has dramatically scaled digital operations to fund its sanctioned regime, according to data from Amazon and blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.

A new report from Chainalysis reveals that North Korean hackers have stolen more than $2 billion worth of cryptocurrency in 2025, a significant increase from the roughly $1.3 billion recorded in 2024.

Complementing these heists is a pervasive network of fake IT workers, with Amazon reporting the detection and blocking of 1,800 North Korean IT workers attempting to secure high-paying remote roles through sophisticated identity fraud.

North Korea’s cryptocurrency heists

The report published on Thursday by Chainalysis shows that a total of $3.41 billion in cryptocurrency was stolen by hackers between January and early December 2025, a significant portion represented by the $1.5 billion Bybit heist. The 2025 total is only slightly higher than in 2024, when $3.38 billion was stolen.

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