Bitget Hack Update: XRP, Bitcoin, and North Korean Link
Chainalysis has attributed the $387 million Bitget theft to North Korean hackers. The firm said the attack lifts the value of crypto stolen by DPRK-linked actors this year above $1 billion. North Korean attackers reportedly used a cross-chain swap to convert stolen XRP into Bitcoin and kept the tokens away from exchanges. Sponsored Sponsored Drift, KelpDAO and Now Bitget Bitget joins 2 April attacks that firms had already tied to North Korea. Hackers drained $285 million from Drift Protocol on April 1. Drift said the operation involved months of social engineering, including in-person meetings. On April 18, attackers took $292 million through a KelpDAO bridge exploit. TRM and LayerZero both linked that attack to TraderTraitor, a Lazarus-affiliated unit. Together, the 2 hacks made up 76% of all crypto hack losses through April, according to TRM. Chainalysis said Bitgets $387 million brings the overall 2026 haul to over $1 billion. In 2025, DPRK actors stole over $2 billion from the crypto industry. Chainalysis said faster tracing is becoming essential. “The ability to quickly identify and understand illicit activity is increasingly important as North Korea increasingly uses sophisticated automation to move and obscure stolen funds,” Chainalysis said. Bitget CEO Gracy Chen had already pointed to North Korea shortly after the breach. She









