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Bybit wins asset freeze in lawsuit over $1.5 billion Lazarus hack

The federal preliminary injunction bars transfers or dissipation of identified stolen assets while the case proceeds in U.S. court.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Regulation

Bybit has filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, its Reconnaissance General Bureau intelligence agency, and the Lazarus Group, which it links to a $1.5 billion cryptocurrency theft last year, according to CoinDesk.

CoinDesk reports that the exchange also secured a preliminary injunction from a federal U.S. court that prevents the transfer or dissipation of identified assets connected to the case while litigation continues, with certain stolen assets held by unidentified “John Doe” defendants frozen as part of the order.

Bybit said the alleged Lazarus heist, carried out on February 21, 2025, involved the theft of approximately $1.5 billion in Ethereum, including over 400,000 ETH and stETH, from the Dubai-based exchange.

CoinDesk adds that the hack formed a large share of the $2.02 billion in crypto stolen by North Korea in 2024, and that Chainalysis data cited by the outlet puts total North Korean crypto theft at $6.75 billion.

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