Bybit Sues North Korea Over $1.5B Hack and Wins Asset Freeze

Bybit has filed a lawsuit against North Korea over a $1.5 billion hack that the exchange attributes to the Lazarus Group. The company has also won an order freezing assets connected to the case.

The development matters because it shows how major crypto platforms are using courts and asset-freezing orders to pursue funds after large-scale hacks. For exchanges, custodians, and users, the case underscores how recovery efforts can continue long after an exploit, even when only a small share of the stolen funds has been traced or secured.

According to Bybit, it has recovered $48.4 million and frozen another $30.5 million. Together, those amounts remain a fraction of what the exchange says was taken in February 2025.

The hack has been linked by Bybit to the Lazarus Group, a hacking organization associated with North Korea. The lawsuit and freezing order add a legal track to the broader effort to recover assets and limit movement of funds tied to the incident.

For the crypto sector, the case is another reminder that large thefts can become prolonged legal and operational battles. Bybit’s disclosed recovery and freeze figures show measurable progress, but also the scale of the gap that remains after a $1.5 billion exploit.