Group of Seven (G7) leaders have renewed their call for collective action against North Korean cryptocurrency theft and cybercrime.
In a statement adopted this week at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, leaders expressed “deep concern” over North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic weapons program. The United Nations and security researchers did connected Cryptocurrency thefts in North Korea to finance national weapons programs.
G7 leaders did not specify how members should respond to the call, not to mention measures such as exchange controls, sanctions or action against hashing services, often discussed in connection with North Korea’s cryptocurrency laundering.
The G7 also addressed cryptocurrency theft in North Korea following the June 2025 summit in Canada, when the group’s chairman called for members to collectively address “DPRK cryptocurrency thefts fueling” the country’s nuclear and missile programs.
The renewed subpoena comes amid a string of high-profile exploits suspected of having links to North Korean actors, including an approximately $285 million Drift Protocol exploit in April and a $36 million Humanity Protocol breach in June.
Hacking activities in the DPRK in 2016–2025. Source: Chainalytic
In 2025, North Korean hackers stole $2 billion
North Korean hackers stole cryptocurrencies worth at least $2 billion in 2025 According to to Chainalytic, bringing the total amount attributable to DPRK-related entities historically to at least $6.75 billion.
Chainalytic said hackers generated higher profits last year despite carrying out fewer confirmed attacks, often by embedding information technology workers at crypto firms or impersonating recruiters and investors to gain access to internal systems.
Related: North Korea ‘industrialized’ cryptocurrency theft, laundered billions: CertiK
On May 15, a CrowdStrike report identified North Korean actors as the largest threat group targeting cryptocurrency users for value theft. The cybersecurity firm said the campaigns prioritized high-value targets and the proceeds “were almost certainly laundered to fund the regime’s military programs.”
Meanwhile, North Korea rejected allegations that it poses a cyber threat. In a statement published by state news agency KCNA on May 3, a Foreign Ministry spokesman accused the United States of spreading false information and described claims about a North Korean cyber threat as politically motivated “slander.”
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