North Korea Hackers Stole Crypto Worth $721 Million From Japan

North Korea-linked hacker groups have stolen cryptocurrency worth $721 million worth from Japan since 2017, business daily Nikkei reported on Monday.

The amount is equal to 30% of the total such losses incurred globally, the report said, citing a study by UK blockchain analysis provider Elliptic.

The report comes on the heels of a declaration by the Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers and central bank governors on Saturday to support measures to counter growing threats from state actors. They referred specifically to illicit activities, such as the theft of crypto-assets.

According to Elliptic, which conducted the analysis on behalf of the Japanese newspaper, North Korea has stolen a total of $2.3 billion in cryptocurrency from businesses between 2017 and 2022.

Reuters with additional editing by Vishakha Saxena

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Vishakha Saxena

Vishakha Saxena is the Multimedia and Social Media Editor at Asia Financial. She has worked as a digital journalist since 2013, and is an experienced writer and multimedia producer. As a trader and investor, she is keenly interested in new economy, emerging markets and the intersections of finance and society. You can write to her at [email protected]