The money North Korean hackers have stolen from the crypto industry is now equivalent to nearly half of the country’s GDP.
On-chain analyst Darkfost estimates that the Lazarus Group has stolen a total of $11.87 billion worth of crypto assets.
Compared with North Korea’s economic output in 2025, that figure is equivalent to 45% of its GDP and 35% of its gross national income.
In other words, the assets a single hacking group has taken from the global crypto market through cyberattacks now amount to a staggering share of a country’s total economy.
This also explains why the Lazarus Group remains one of the threat groups the crypto industry needs to watch most closely. For the group, attacking crypto platforms is not just cybercrime—it could also be an important source of foreign currency.
It should be noted that the $11.87 billion figure is Darkfost’s cumulative estimate, not North Korean revenue confirmed by an official audit.
On-chain analyst Darkfost estimates that the Lazarus Group has stolen a total of $11.87 billion worth of crypto assets.
Compared with North Korea’s economic output in 2025, that figure is equivalent to 45% of its GDP and 35% of its gross national income.
In other words, the assets a single hacking group has taken from the global crypto market through cyberattacks now amount to a staggering share of a country’s total economy.
This also explains why the Lazarus Group remains one of the threat groups the crypto industry needs to watch most closely. For the group, attacking crypto platforms is not just cybercrime—it could also be an important source of foreign currency.
It should be noted that the $11.87 billion figure is Darkfost’s cumulative estimate, not North Korean revenue confirmed by an official audit.