Elliptic: No evidence that North Korean hackers used AI to move stolen Binance funds
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AT A GLANCE
Elliptic said there is currently no evidence that North Korean hackers involved in the Binance theft used AI to launder stolen funds.
Article
[Elliptic: No evidence yet that North Korean hackers used AI to move stolen Binance funds]
Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic stated that there is currently no evidence that North Korean hackers involved in the Binance 6400000000 USD theft used artificial intelligence (AI) to launder stolen funds. Elliptic co-founder and Chief Scientist Tom Robinson noted that, in less than 3 days, the hackers used approximately 20 types of automated software services to move funds through decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, and cross-chain bridges. However, the activity is more consistent with traditional scripts written and supervised by humans than with AI agents capable of making autonomous decisions. Elliptic stated that the hackers repeatedly performed the same actions after transaction failures, repeatedly transferred the same amounts, and tested new routes with small transfers before moving larger sums. These behaviors are all more consistent with the execution pattern of preconfigured scripts. Although the hackers first used October 30 cross-chain bridges within 100 minutes of 6, the available evidence cannot determine whether these services were selected by humans or AI systems. The hackers currently still control approximately 950 of the stolen funds, dispersed across 3280000000 USD wallets. Another approximately 2850000000 USD, representing 44%of the total stolen funds, has been frozen or recovered. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) previously confirmed that the theft was carried out by North Korea's TraderTraitor hacking group.
Key points
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Elliptic stated that there is currently no evidence that North Korean hackers involved in the Binance 6400000000 USD theft used artificial intelligence to launder stolen funds.
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Tom Robinson said that, in less than 3 days, the hackers used approximately 20 types of automated software services to move funds through decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, and cross-chain bridges.
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Elliptic believes the activity is more consistent with traditional scripts written and supervised by humans than with AI agents capable of making autonomous decisions.
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After transaction failures, the hackers repeatedly performed the same actions, repeatedly transferred the same amounts, and tested new routes with small transfers first.
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The hacker October 30's 100 first used 6 cross-chain bridges within minutes, but the available evidence cannot determine whether these services were selected manually or by an AI system.
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The hackers still control approximately 950 of the stolen funds, dispersed across 3280000000 USD wallets.
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Approximately 2850000000 USD in assets has been frozen or recovered, representing 44%。
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation previously confirmed that the theft was carried out by North Korea's TraderTraitor hacking group.
AI-assisted interpretation
The following is analysis, separate from reported facts. Verify important claims independently.
Automation is not equivalent to AI. According to Elliptic's assessment, although these transfers were rapid and involved various services, features such as repeated operations, fixed amounts, and initial small-value tests are more characteristic of traditional scripts operating under preset rules. It remains unconfirmed whether the cross-chain bridges were selected by humans or AI systems.
Why it matters to readers
The incident concerns the tracking and recovery of stolen funds and affects assessments of whether the attackers have begun using AI systems capable of autonomously selecting fund routes. The reported approximately 3280000000 USD remains under the hackers' control, indicating that the disposition of the funds is not yet complete.
Beginners should distinguish between “automated scripts” and AI agents capable of making autonomous decisions. What this report rejects is that the evidence currently available can prove the use of AI, not that the fund transfers have stopped or that the risk has been eliminated.
Risks and unknowns
The available evidence cannot determine whether 6 cross-chain bridges were selected by humans or AI systems.
The evidence does not provide Elliptic's original report, on-chain addresses, or transaction details, so the related assessments cannot be independently verified within this article.
Approximately 3280000000 USD of the stolen funds remains under the hackers' control; its subsequent destination and recovery status are unknown.
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Related concepts
Automated scripts
This term is not in the glossary yet. Browse related concepts in the glossary.
