Guess what? North Korea just made it to the top 4 Bitcoin-holding nations—not by mining or trading, but through hacking!

The notorious Lazarus Group, North Korea’s elite hacking team, recently hacked the Bybit crypto exchange and stole over $1.4 billion worth of crypto.

After converting most of it to Bitcoin, they now hold 13,562 BTC, worth around $1.13 billion.

🔔 Never Miss an Update! Subscribe to CryptoTerminal and get exclusive Web3 market insights straight to your inbox now!

How North Korea Stacks Up Against Other Nations

North Korea now ranks 4th in the world for Bitcoin holdings. Here's how it compares to the top nations:

  1. United States – 198,109 BTC

  2. China – 190,000 BTC

  3. United Kingdom – 61,245 BTC

  4. North Korea – 13,562 BTC

  5. Bhutan – 10,635 BTC

  6. El Salvador – 6,117 BTC

That’s right—North Korea now owns more Bitcoin than Bhutan and El Salvador combined!

A Long History of Crypto Heists

This isn’t their first rodeo. The Lazarus Group has been behind some of the biggest crypto hacks in history:

  • Bybit (2025) – $1.4 billion stolen

  • DMM Bitcoin (2024) – $308 million stolen

  • Ronin Network (2022) – $615 million stolen

Why Does North Korea Want Bitcoin?

Experts believe these stolen assets fund North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. Since the country is heavily sanctioned, Bitcoin provides a way to move money without detection.

What’s Next?

Governments and security firms worldwide are on high alert, trying to track and freeze North Korea’s stolen crypto. But with DeFi tools like ThorChain, they’re getting better at laundering funds.

Can the world stop North Korea’s cyber heists? Or will they keep hacking their way up the Bitcoin rankings?

---

Source: https://en.news.cr7pt0.com/north-korea-bitcoin-holdings-ranking/