Bybit Wins Court Order to Freeze Stolen Crypto From North Korea Hack

Ben Zhou, Bybit’s co-founder and chief executive, said the company’s priorities are safeguarding customers and recovering as much stolen value as possible. He described the Lazarus attack as an assault on confidence across the crypto sector.

Since the breach, Bybit has recovered roughly $48.4 million in stolen assets and frozen about $30.5 million held at more than 28 platforms and custodians, pending further legal steps. The exchange also helped German authorities shut down the crypto exchange eXch and later assisted German and Swiss teams in dismantling Cryptomixer.io, cutting off laundering channels used by the hackers.

Zhou said the real test of resolve comes after the immediate crisis, through sustained security upgrades and ongoing cooperation with investigators and industry peers. Trust is earned through daily action, not statements, he said.

Bybit, which earlier this year expanded into tokenized equities through a partnership with Securitize, is now pursuing civil remedies as a complement to criminal processes. The case continues, and the exchange said it will share updates as the court allows.