Hackers steal $6.3bn from Binance in biggest crypto hack
Ongoing: AI Cooling
Binance said the hackers moved most of the money out of its wallets across 10 blockchains in about 20 minutes. Blockchain analysis firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis said the hackers were from North Korea.
Binance said about $3bn of the stolen assets had been frozen so far. Tether froze $1.57bn and Circle froze more than $800m. Binance did not mention the status of the remaining $3.3bn.
Binance said an initial investigation suggested the breach may have started with a hacked laptop belonging to an engineer. Co-founder Yi He said the exchange would cover all hacking losses. Binance said user funds remain safe and that it expects to resume withdrawals in the next 48 hours.
Binance.US and Coinbase said they were not affected. Analysts said the attack could make investors rethink the risks of owning digital assets. Tim Sun, a senior researcher at HashKey Group, said it may further dampen risk appetite.
Bitcoin fell to a six-week low of $76,368 and ether to a two-month low of $2,178. Binance has 335-million registered users worldwide.
Key facts
- Who
- Binance (crypto exchange that was hacked); Data Bridge Market Research (research firm that valued the crypto insurance market); Yi He (Co-founder of Binance, said the exchange would cover all hacking losses); TRM Labs (US blockchain analysis firm that attributed the attack to North Korea)
- What
- The article reports a $6.3 billion hack of Binance and explains how digital asset insurance works, including policy types and the factors that shape coverage. It cites Data Bridge Market Research for market size figures.
- When
- 30 October 2026
- Where
- North Korea, Geneva, China
- Status
- Reported