Bybit Unleashes RICO Lawsuit on North Korea Over $1.5B Hack
Bybit filed a RICO lawsuit against North Korea and the Lazarus Group in a U.S. court over a $1.5 billion cryptocurrency hack.Summary
Bybit has sued North Korea and its Lazarus Group hacking unit in a U.S. federal court over a $1.5 billion theft of Ethereum tokens in February 2025. The lawsuit, filed under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), alleges organized racketeering. A U.S. court froze stolen assets in July 2026, and Bybit has recovered $48.4 million so far, with 90% of funds remaining untraceable. North Korean hackers exploited a compromised developer's computer at Safe{Wallet} to drain Bybit's cold storage. The case highlights North Korea's growing cybercrime activities, with Chainalysis reporting $2.02 billion stolen in 2025 alone. Bybit's recovery efforts include freezing assets across exchanges and collaborating with authorities to shut down related platforms.
(Source：Bitcoin News)