After the theft of US$6.3 billion from Binance, Trump says he is analyzing the case and does not know if it was North Korea

A hacker attack removed US$6.3 billion in cryptocurrencies from Binance in a few minutes, on Thursday, 29, according to InfoMoney. The case gained political weight over the weekend, when Donald Trump commented on the episode during a Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

Trump said he was following the case and said: “We don’t know if it’s North Korea.” According to InfoMoney, he added that if the country is responsible, he will talk to it.

The federal investigation, however, points in another direction. On Saturday night, the 31st, the FBI attributed the theft to North Korean hackers, a reading that BBC Business also records when citing North Korea as responsible. There is, therefore, a contrast between Trump's caution and the agency's conclusion, and the case remains open on a political level.

On the platform side, BBC Business reports that Binance has replaced 90% of the stolen US$6.3 billion. The replacement reduces users' immediate losses, but does not end the discussion about the security of brokers that store large volumes of assets.

What changes for the investor

For those who invest in the stock market, Nasdaq, interest or the dollar, the episode reinforces a risk that usually goes under the radar: that of counterparty and custody when operating digital assets through a platform. An attack of this size could weigh on the appetite for cryptocurrencies and confidence in exchanges, and attribution to a State tends to reopen the debate on sanctions and controls. In the center-right reading defended by this newspaper, the most solid answer involves clear rules and the responsibility of those who guard the heritage, and not prohibitions. This article does not provide price forecasts or buy or sell recommendations. It is up to each investor to evaluate their exposure and the form of custody of their assets.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.