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(LEAD) Trump says U.S. will talk to N. Korea if it is behind Binance hack

Trump linking potential North Korea involvement in Binance hack to U.S. talks signals geopolitical escalation.

Context

What happened: Trump said the U.S. would talk to North Korea if it is found to be behind the theft of more than $6 billion from Binance, after the FBI blamed North Korea for the theft on or about Oct. 29. Key numbers: More than $6 billion stolen from Binance; TRM Labs estimated $6.36 billion; theft on or about Oct. Why it matters: The FBI named the operation TraderTraitor and said hackers were converting stolen assets mainly into Ethereum, urging exchanges and other providers to block related wallet transactions. Trump's remarks come amid speculation over renewed diplomacy with Kim. Coverage: 5 outlets in 24h

What changed

Trump said the U.S. would talk to North Korea if it is found to be behind the theft of more than $6 billion from Binance, after the FBI blamed North Korea for the theft on or about Oct. 29.

Why it matters

The FBI named the operation TraderTraitor and said hackers were converting stolen assets mainly into Ethereum, urging exchanges and other providers to block related wallet transactions. Trump's remarks come amid speculation over renewed diplomacy with Kim.

Sources

yonhap