North Korean Hackers Dominate Crypto Exploits with $285M Drift Protocol Breach
Security intelligence firm TRM Labs revealed that North Korean state-backed hackers now account for 76% of all cryptocurrency scam and hack losses in 2026.
What happened: Security intelligence firm TRM Labs revealed that North Korean state-backed hackers now account for 76% of all cryptocurrency scam and hack losses in 2026. The latest major incident involved a sophisticated months-long infiltration of Drift Protocol, resulting in $285 million in losses through on-site social engineering tactics.
Why it matters: This represents a significant escalation in both the scale and sophistication of state-sponsored crypto attacks. North Korean hackers have stolen $6 billion since 2017, with their dominance increasing dramatically this year as traditional DeFi security measures prove insufficient against advanced persistent threats combining physical and digital infiltration methods.
Source: CoinDesk