- North Korea‘s Lazarus Group now holds 13,441 BTC ($1.14 billion), exceeding Tesla‘s 11,509 BTC holdings by 16%.
- The Hacking group recently added to its Bitcoin reserves after converting portions of $1.4 billion in stolen ETH from Bybit exchange.
- While Tesla ranks as the fourth-largest publicly listed BTC holder, the U.S. government maintains the largest reserve with 198,109 BTC ($16+ billion).
North Korean-linked Lazarus Group has accumulated more Bitcoin than Tesla, according to blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence. The notorious hacking collective currently holds 13,441 BTC valued at approximately $1.14 billion, surpassing Elon Musk‘s electric vehicle manufacturer’s Bitcoin treasury by 16%.
Blockchain data confirms Tesla maintains 11,509 BTC, positioning the company as the fourth-largest Bitcoin holder among publicly traded companies despite being outpaced by the state-sponsored hacking operation.
The substantial Bitcoin position held by Lazarus Group was recently bolstered following a major security breach at cryptocurrency exchange Bybit. Last month, the Hackers successfully extracted $1.4 billion worth of ether (ETH) from the platform and have since converted portions of the stolen funds into Bitcoin. Bybit’s CEO Ben Zhou confirmed that 12,836 BTC from the theft have been distributed across 9,117 unique wallet addresses.
Tesla acquired its Bitcoin holdings four years ago and has maintained its position without liquidating, exemplifying the “HODL” strategy popular among long-term cryptocurrency investors. This approach has positioned Tesla among the largest corporate Bitcoin holders globally.
The stark contrast between a publicly traded American company and a sanctioned North Korean hacking group holding substantial Bitcoin reserves comes as cryptocurrency gains political attention in the United States. Former President Donald Trump has recently reaffirmed his commitment to establishing the U.S. as the “undisputed Bitcoin superpower and the crypto capital of the world.”
While both Lazarus Group and Tesla maintain significant Bitcoin reserves, neither approaches the holdings of the U.S. government, which controls approximately 198,109 BTC valued at over $16 billion. These assets primarily consist of cryptocurrency seized during law enforcement actions, which Trump has recently characterized as a strategic reserve.
Market observers are now questioning whether Tesla and other U.S. corporations will respond to being eclipsed by a North Korean hacking operation by increasing their Bitcoin acquisitions, particularly as cryptocurrency continues gaining mainstream political recognition.
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