North Korea's Lazarus Group Exploits Crypto Gaps, $6.75 Billion Stolen

North Korea's Lazarus Group has been a dominant threat in the cryptocurrency sector, responsible for approximately $6.75 billion in theft since 2019, with major incidents including a $1.5 billion Bybit heist in February 2025 and a $285 million theft from Drift Protocol in 2026. Total crypto hack losses in 2025 exceeded $3.4 billion and personal wallet compromises rose sharply; U.S. legislative response (the CLARITY Act) seeks to empower the Treasury to freeze suspicious transactions and sanction foreign digital-asset firms, though critics warn of potential loopholes.