CryptoCMD CryptoCMD
Security/Hacks

Binance Bitcoin Theft Tops Tesla's Stash, Doubles El Salvador's

A stolen haul of 18,270 BTC, worth roughly $1.4 billion, now outweighs the corporate and sovereign holdings of some well-known Bitcoin owners, and investigators point to North Korea.

Mia Chen

· 2 min read

Advertising disclosure: we may earn a commission when you join an operator via links on this page, at no cost to you. This never dictates our ratings. How we make money

Binance Bitcoin Theft Tops Tesla's Stash, Doubles El Salvador's
Image via CoinDesk

Key takeaways

  • The stolen haul totals 18,270 BTC, worth about $1.4 billion.
  • It's more than Tesla holds and over twice El Salvador's reserve.
  • It sits just 442 coins short of SpaceX's disclosed Bitcoin holdings.
  • Blockchain investigators link the attack to North Korea.

The Bitcoin stolen from Binance now totals 18,270 BTC, roughly $1.4 billion at current prices. That's more than Tesla holds. It's over double what El Salvador has built up in its national reserve.

It also sits within 442 coins of SpaceX's disclosed holdings. Put plainly, a single attacker is holding a pile that would rank near the top of the best-known corporate Bitcoin holders.

North Korea link

Blockchain investigators tie the attack to North Korea. The material I have doesn't say more than that, so how the funds were taken and where they go next are still open questions. Read the attribution as investigators' conclusion, not a court finding.

The scale, in context

These comparisons work as a gut check. A government assembled its reserve over years. A hacking group lifted a bigger stack in one operation. That shows how much value one compromised platform can put at risk.

Why it matters

If you keep coins on an exchange, here's the reminder you didn't want. Big platforms make big targets, and state-backed attackers have the patience and the tooling to go after them. Self-custody carries its own risks. Still, spreading your holdings and withdrawing whatever you don't need for trading is a sensible hedge.

There's a market angle too. Stolen coins that get sold can add selling pressure, so how the funds move will tell us a lot. Laundered fast, or parked? That's what traders and investigators will be watching.

Source: CoinDesk

Top Crypto Casinos Right Now

🇦🇺 Showing sites that accept players from Australia Change country

Advertising disclosure: we may earn a commission when you join an operator via links on this page, at no cost to you. This never dictates our ratings. How we make money

The Online Casino
7.8/10

400% crypto welcome bonus up to $1,000 (code MAXOUT)

More info

Why we chose it: A US-oriented casino that turns away only New Jersey. The cashier takes crypto, but the site publishes fewer specifics than any operator we list.

24/7 live chat
KYC
Required

Restricted countries: New Jersey (US).

Mostbet
8.0/10

125% welcome bonus on first deposit

More info

Why we chose it: One of the widest crypto line-ups of any book we list - seven coins with fast payouts - aimed squarely at Asia and Latin America rather than the US or Western Europe.

Sports betting 24/7 live chat
Accepts BTC ETH USDT LTC DOGE BNB XRP
Licence
Curacao

Restricted countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia and 21 more.

BetUS
7.6/10

100% Welcome Bonus up to 5BTC

More info

Why we chose it: Built for American bettors, priced accordingly. Biggest welcome bonus of the five, attached to the heaviest rollover of the five.

Sports betting Live casino Rakeback / cashback VIP program Mobile app 24/7 live chat
Accepts BTC BCH ETH LTC
Online since
1994
Licence
Curaçao
Payout time
24–48 hours (crypto)
Wagering
18x sportsbook / 30x casino
KYC
Required

Restricted countries: Belgium, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Caribbean Netherlands, France and 11 more.

#Bitcoin #Security #Binance #Hack #North-Korea

Mia Chen

Mia digs into DeFi and on-chain data, translating protocol mechanics into plain English for everyday readers.

Related News