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Binance customers withdraw billions after record crypto theft
CBS News reports Binance customers withdrew more than $4.6 billion after a theft the FBI linked to North Korea, which Pyongyang denied, according to The Japan Times and an Associated Press dispatch.
- The Japan Times and ABC News are now reporting this
- New headline Was: “Binance customers withdraw $7.42 billion after crypto heist”
- Our desk filed its story
Wire reporting: (AP, via ABC News)
Customers of Binance withdrew more than $4.6 billion after hackers stole digital assets the FBI later attributed to North Korea, CBS News reported, while Pyongyang rejected that attribution, according to The Japan Times and an Associated Press dispatch carried by ABC News1,2,3.
CBS, citing Binance, said customers also deposited just over $1 billion after the exchange allowed Bitcoin, Ethereum and other crypto transactions to resume Sunday, leaving a net outflow of $3.64 billion1.
Binance, described by CBS as the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange with more than 300 million users, said the withdrawn holdings were 2.1% of $171 billion in total assets1.
CBS reported that cybercriminals the FBI linked to North Korea stole $6.3 billion from Binance and that roughly $3 billion of the stolen assets were frozen1.
The FBI said Saturday that the group known as TraderTraitor was converting most of the stolen assets into Ethereum, CBS reported, and that the same group was responsible for a February 2025 attack on Bybit that resulted in a $1.5 billion loss1.
Binance has said it will cover the full losses with company funds and, by early Sunday, had covered around 95% of the impacted amount, according to CBS1.
Binance cofounder Yi He said on X that the company's top priority was to ensure the environment is secure, after which users can withdraw funds and Binance can resume operations, CBS reported1.
The Japan Times reported Tuesday that North Korea criticized FBI claims it was behind the theft, calling the allegations a grave political provocation2.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called the claims "absurd rhetoric and nothing new," according to KCNA as cited by The Japan Times2.
An AP report carried by ABC News said Binance reported Friday that hackers stole more than $6 billion, that the FBI attributed the attack to TraderTraitor, and that Kim Yo Jong on Tuesday denied involvement3.
CBS did not report North Korea's denial; The Japan Times did not report the customer withdrawal totals CBS cited1,2.
Sources
How it’s being reported
3 sourcesFirst reported by 
CBS News
CBS NewsFirstBinance customers withdraw more than $4.6 billion after crypto heist
customer withdrawals, Binance asset size, and the FBI attribution to TraderTraitor
CBS says customers withdrew more than $4.6 billion after the theft, with a net outflow of $3.64 billion once deposits resumed.
Leaves out North Korea's on-record denial
North Korea calls U.S. claims it was behind Binance hack ‘a grave political provocation’
Pyongyang's denial and the political framing of the FBI attribution
The Japan Times reports Kim Yo Jong, citing KCNA, rejected FBI claims that North Korea was behind the Binance theft.
Leaves out customer withdrawal figures reported by CBS
North Korea denies involvement in Binance hack, criticizes FBI probe
Gives this outlet’s account of the story.
Where they agree
- A large theft from Binance occurred and U.S. officials attributed it to North Korean-linked actors.
- North Korea, through Kim Yo Jong, rejected the FBI attribution.
Where they differ
Scale of customer withdrawals