How North Korea pulled off a $6bn heist

Last week saw what could be the biggest heist in history: $6.3bn was stolen from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. North Korean hackers are suspected of being behind the attack, which saw billions of dollars disappear in just 20 minutes.

It’s far from the first time North Korea has been accused of a major cyber-attack. Over the past decade, hackers linked to the country have targeted banks, public institutions and even Sony Pictures.

On The Global Story, Asma Khalid speaks with journalist Geoff White, host of the BBC investigative podcast The Lazarus Heist. He explains how this isolated country become a major player in the world of cyber-crime – and where all that money goes.

(Photo: Lots of metal coins with symbols of cryptocurrencies are seen in this illustration taken 10 September, 2025. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie and Josephine Casserly Executive producer: Martine Powers Digital producer: Charlie Firth Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins