North Korea Denies Binance Hack Role, Threatens Review of US Stance

North Korea has formally rejected US accusations blaming the regime for the recent breach of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, with senior leadership calling the claims an "absurd rumor" ¹. In a statement released on Tuesday, Kim Yo-jong, director of the General Affairs Department of North Korea's Workers' Party, dismissed the Federal Bureau of Investigation's intelligence findings and warned of diplomatic consequences ¹.

The denial follows earlier declarations from the FBI blaming North Korea for the multi-billion-dollar exploit ¹. Kim characterized the Binance breach as an "extraordinary event" and accused Washington of engaging in habitual provocations whenever major cybercrimes occur ¹. The statement also cited past attribution attempts, including allegations surrounding last year's security breach at cryptocurrency exchange Bybit, as evidence of repeated US efforts to distort perceptions of Pyongyang ¹.

Kim further implied that the United States itself could have orchestrated the attack, pointing to previous US administrative measures authorizing the seizure of stolen digital assets ¹. She argued that observing who ultimately benefits from the recovery of such significant sums offers clues about the true perpetrator ¹. Kim cautioned that Washington's "extremely displeasing, hostile attitude" has prompted Pyongyang to reevaluate bilateral dynamics, stating that "there will be issues to reconsider in many aspects" ¹.

Diplomatic Fallout

The response marks the first formal statement from North Korea concerning the Binance incident ¹. Kim's direct intervention is notable because she oversees key foreign policy initiatives rather than traditional cyber or foreign ministry spokespeople ¹. The remarks suggest the cyber attribution dispute may directly complicate future diplomatic discussions between Pyongyang and Washington ¹. At the time of writing, the broader crypto market remains under pressure, with Bitcoin ($BTC) trading at $76,669 down 1.7% over the last 24 hours.