High Alert

Stealing $1.5B in crypto is easy, cashing out is the trap

Written and edited by the WorldPing NewsdeskPublished Updated Original reporting: CryptoSlate
Stealing $1.5B in crypto is easy, cashing out is the trapWorldPing
Image via CryptoSlate.

What happened

North Korean hackers stole around $1.5 billion from Bybit in February 2025.

While the hack itself has been widely covered and analyzed, few have focused on what happened afterward and what became of the stolen funds.

Key facts

  • North Korean hackers stole around $1.5 billion from Bybit in February 2025.
  • Reported by CryptoSlate and published Sat, 10 Oct 2026 12:00:37 UTC.

Why it matters

Digital-asset markets react to catalysts within minutes, and liquidity, ETF flows and regulatory signals are usually what decide whether a move sticks.

What to watch next

  • Whether spot volume and open interest confirm the move
  • Liquidation clusters around the current price
  • ETF flow data and any regulatory follow-up

Coverage timeline

When each newsroom published on this story, oldest first — all times UTC.

  1. Celsius founder faces lifetime ban, but can trade his own crypto

  2. Lithuania Aligns Crypto User Tracking Rules With EU Framework

  3. Bitcoin's $19 billion wake-up call: One-year after flash crash, has crypto learned anything?

  4. Justin Sun says Tron’s post-quantum cryptography has gone live on testnet

  5. Stealing $1.5B in crypto is easy, cashing out is the trap

  6. Here’s what happened in crypto today

  7. French Committee Backs Stablecoin Swap Tax and Crypto Exit Tax, Then Rejects the Budget

Sources

The original report was published by CryptoSlate. WorldPing does not claim that reporting — this page summarises and contextualises it.

Read the full report at CryptoSlate

Follow the story

Living hubs that keep updating as this story develops.

Related WorldPing coverage

Here’s what happened in crypto todayWorldPing
Cointelegraph

Here’s what happened in crypto today

Need to know what happened in crypto today? Here is the latest news on daily trends and events impacting Bitcoin price, blockchain, DeFi, Web3 and crypto regulation.

Brief by WorldPing · Original reporting by Cointelegraph

Lithuania Aligns Crypto User Tracking Rules With EU FrameworkWorldPing
Bitcoin.com

Lithuania Aligns Crypto User Tracking Rules With EU Framework

Lithuania’s tax authority has issued updated procedures clarifying user reporting requirements for crypto asset service providers to align national rules with the EU’s DAC8 and OECD tax transparency standards.

Brief by WorldPing · Original reporting by Bitcoin.com