North Korea’s suspected bitcoin reserves—reportedly amassed through cyberattacks by state-linked hacker groups—have surpassed those held by Tesla, according to recent cryptocurrency data.
On Mar. 23 (local time), CoinDesk reported, citing blockchain intelligence firm Arkham Intelligence, that the Lazarus Group, a hacking organization believed to be tied to North Korea, currently controls 13,441 bitcoins. The holdings are valued at approximately $1.14 billion (about 1.67 trillion won).
By comparison, Tesla, led by CEO Elon Musk, holds 11,509 bitcoins, making North Korea’s stash roughly 16% larger. Tesla is currently the fourth-largest bitcoin-holding publicly traded company in the world.
The growth in North Korea’s bitcoin reserves appears to be linked to the recent hack of Bybit, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. The platform was breached on Feb. 21, resulting in the theft of approximately $1.46 billion (about 2.1 trillion won) in digital assets. The Lazarus Group is suspected to be behind the attack.
While most of the stolen assets were in Ethereum, North Korea is believed to have converted a significant portion into bitcoin shortly after the breach.
The report comes as U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his pledge last week to make the United States both a global superpower and the world’s cryptocurrency capital. CoinDesk noted rising interest in how North Korea’s cyber operations may respond to the shifting geopolitical and digital currency landscape.
The U.S. government currently holds 198,109 bitcoins—worth more than $16 billion (about 23 trillion won)—seized through various money laundering investigations. Trump is reportedly exploring a cryptocurrency reserve strategy centered around these assets.
