North Korea becomes world’s third-largest Bitcoin holder
North Korea has emerged as the third-largest government holder of Bitcoin, following a major cryptocurrency theft by its notorious cyber-hacking group, Lazarus, a Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The group recently stole $1.4 billion in crypto, primarily in Ethereum, from the Bybit exchange, later converting much of it into Bitcoin.
As a result, North Korea now holds approximately 13,580 BTC, valued at around £886 million ($1.14 billion). This places the country ahead of Bhutan (10,635 BTC) and El Salvador (6,117 BTC) in government-held Bitcoin rankings. Only the United States (198,109 BTC) and the United Kingdom (61,245 BTC) hold more.
Unlike other governments, which acquire Bitcoin through legal seizures, North Korea’s holdings stem from cyber theft, raising concerns about the role of illicit activities in global cryptocurrency markets.
Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency, had surpassed the $100,000 mark in December, marking a historic milestone.
