Bybit sues North Korea and Lazarus Group over $1.5 billion crypto hack

Bybit Lazarus Group cryptocurrency theft North Korea civil lawsuit

Bybit, a major cryptocurrency exchange, has filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against North Korea, its Reconnaissance General Bureau, and the Lazarus Group. The legal action seeks to recover approximately $1.5 billion in assets stolen during a February 2025 cyberattack, which involved the theft of over 400,000 ETH and stETH.

In the lawsuit, Bybit has named unidentified individuals and entities as 'John Doe' defendants. A preliminary injunction has been issued to freeze identified stolen digital assets and prevent their further movement during litigation. Additionally, a U.S. court has granted Bybit expedited discovery, allowing the exchange to rapidly request account information and transaction histories from platforms operating in the United States to track the stolen funds.

Bybit CEO Ben Zhou stated that the exchange's priorities are protecting users, recovering assets, and holding attackers accountable. The civil proceedings are being conducted alongside an ongoing criminal investigation led by U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.

Entities

Ben Zhou · Bybit · Lazarus Group · North Korea · North Korea (DPRK) · Reconnaissance General Bureau

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The theft involved over 400,000 ETH and stETH. abmedia.io · cryptonomist.ch · www.criptotendencias.com
[● 4 SOURCES] Bybit CEO Ben Zhou said the company's focus is protecting users, recovering assets, and holding attackers accountable. abmedia.io · cryptonomist.ch · www.tokenpost.com · www.europesays.com
[● 4 SOURCES] A preliminary injunction was issued freezing the identified stolen digital assets. abmedia.io · cryptonomist.ch · www.tokenpost.com · www.europesays.com
[● 4 SOURCES] Bybit filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against North Korea, its Reconnaissance General Bureau, and Lazarus Group. abmedia.io · cryptonomist.ch · www.tokenpost.com · www.europesays.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The lawsuit seeks recovery of about $1.5 billion stolen in February 2025. abmedia.io · cryptonomist.ch · www.tokenpost.com · www.europesays.com · www.cryptobreaking.com
[● 3 SOURCES] U.S. law-enforcement agencies are conducting a parallel criminal investigation. abmedia.io · cryptonomist.ch · www.tokenpost.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The hack compromised an Ethereum cold wallet. www.criptotendencias.com · abmedia.io
[● 2 SOURCES] The court granted Bybit expedited discovery to track stolen funds. www.cryptobreaking.com · www.criptotendencias.com