According to CoinMeta, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange has filed a civil lawsuit against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), its General Bureau of Reconnaissance, and the Lazarus Group, claiming damages amounting to $1.5 billion. The lawsuit was filed in a U.S. district court in Washington D.C., and a preliminary injunction was obtained to freeze stolen assets held by unidentified individuals and entities. On February 21, 2025, the Lazarus Group carried out one of the largest cryptocurrency heists in history, stealing approximately $1.5 billion in Ethereum (over 400,000 coins of various types) from the exchange, which constitutes the majority of the $2.02 billion in cryptocurrencies stolen from North Korea last year. According to data from CoinMeta, North Korean hackers have stolen a total of $6.75 billion in cryptocurrencies. The exchange stated that this injunction is aimed at protecting the identified stolen digital assets, and that the lawsuit is still ongoing, representing an important step in recovering the funds and supporting international law enforcement investigations.