Binance says hackers used a fake job interview and tampered software in a record $6.3bn crypto heist, while North Korea denies involvement
Binance's first report says a multi-stage attack began in June with an advert for a tampered coding tool, compromised two engineers' computers through a fake job interview and software, then used a third engineer's computer to take $6.3bn of crypto last Thursday (Jerusalem Post).
Our outlet list is not evenly split: about 50% left-rated, 15% centre and 35% right-rated, so raw splits lean left by construction. Blindspots are tested against each side's own share. About our sample.
Left 0 · Centre-left 9 · Centre 4 · Centre-right 5 · Right 0
ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Right-leaning outlets
'N. Korean hackers pulled off $6.3B Binance heist by posing as fake job interviewers' (New York Post); 'Binance and the Biggest Crypto Heist Ever' (Wall Street Journal).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “North Korea denies being behind record $6.3bn Binance hack” (BBC News); “Binance hackers used fake interviews and social media profiles in $6.3bn heist” (Financial Times).
Left-leaning outlets
'A Binance engineer thought he was interviewing for a job. Then the hackers pounced' (NPR); 'Binance battles to save its brand after record $6.3bn crypto hack' (The Guardian).
Context
The wider geopolitical and historical background, in our words, each point linked to the source it comes from. Background, not a verdict on today's story. How we write it.
Background for this story.
- Previous large crypto thefts have been attributed by US authorities to North Korea-linked hackers, which North Korea denies. Lazarus Group
Checked 2026-11-04. Links were opened and returned a page that day.
Search for more (live results, not checked by us): Wikipedia search · Explainers (Google News search) · Background and history (Google News search)
Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
Right 3
- Jerusalem Post
Binance: Hackers used fake job interview, AI tool to gain access to computers, steal $6.3 billion - New York Post
N. Korean hackers pulled off $6.3B Binance heist by posing as fake job interviewers to hack engineer’s laptop: probe - The Times
Binance hackers used fake job interviews in $6.3bn heist
Centre 3
- BBC News
North Korea denies being behind record $6.3bn Binance hack - Financial Times
Binance hackers used fake interviews and social media profiles in $6.3bn heist (paywalled or blocks bots) - Reuters
Binance hackers used fake job interview in $6.3 billion attack (paywall or login)
Showing 3 from each side of 18 rated outlets (L 9 / C 4 / R 5). More coverage
Video
News reports from outlets with a bias rating, balanced like the articles: the same number from the left, the centre and the right. A side with no matching video is named, never padded. Every video was checked to exist on YouTube on the day; titles are the publishers' own. Links open YouTube; nothing from YouTube loads on this page. How we pick.
Right 1
Left 1
Showing 1 from each side that has one.
YouTube searches (live results, not checked or balanced by us): News videos · Explainers · Podcasts
Deep dive
The two opposites side by side, seeking to understand rather than judge. These are possible readings of the coverage, built from the articles linked on this page; they are not claims about anyone's motives. How we write it.
Seen from the right
“Binance: Hackers used fake job interview, AI tool to gain access to computers, steal $6.3 billion” Jerusalem Post
Seen from the left
“N Korea fires multiple missiles, denies US claims on Binance hack” Al Jazeera
What each side may be protecting: Binance: its brand and users' funds. Investigators: attribution.
What they agree on
Binance's first report says a multi-stage attack began in June with an advert for a tampered coding tool, compromised two engineers' computers through a fake job interview and software, then used a third engineer's computer to take $6.3bn of crypto last Thursday (Jerusalem Post).
Where they truly differ
Attribution: the New York Post says North Korean hackers did it, citing US claims; North Korea denies involvement and calls the FBI probe 'a trite provocation' (AP).
Open questions
- What evidence has Binance published, and who has verified it independently?
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (17 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Al Jazeera | Centre-left | Al Jazeera is owned and funded by the state of Qatar. The founder and Chairman of the Board is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family, the House of Thani. According to a Fortune article, i n 2016, state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera laid off 500 workers due to Qatar’s financial troubles resulting from low global prices for oil and natural gas. source |
| Associated Press | Centre-left | The Associated Press (AP) is a nonprofit news cooperative with a profit of $1.6 million in 2016. It also sells content to other media organizations. According to an article titled “ AP reports loss on one-time accounting charges,” t he Associated Press lost $74 million in 2017, and it states the reason as “mostly due to one-time accounting charges related to the federal tax overhaul passed late last year.” source |
| Bloomberg | Centre-left | Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source |
| CNBC | Centre-left | CNBC is owned by NBC Universal, which Comcast owns. Comcast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Brian L. Roberts, founded by his father, Ralph J. source |
| NBC News | Centre-left | No ownership data found |
| NPR | Centre-left | According to a Columbia Journalism Review article dated 2010, a large portion of NPR’s revenue comes from dues and fees paid by Member stations and corporate sponsorships. In another article by Columbia Journalism Review, they state that as of 2017, NPR receives less than 1 percent of its total funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting(CPB). source |
| New York Times | Centre-left | The Ochs-Sulzberger family controls the New York Times through Class B shares. Since 1967, the company has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYT. Class B shares are those that are held privately. source |
| The Guardian | Centre-left | The Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source |
| BBC News | Centre | The BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source |
| Financial Times | Centre | The Financial Times is owned by The Nikkei, a Japanese news and financial information company that publishes the leading financial paper, The Nikkei. The FT generates revenue through subscriptions, a hard paywall, and advertising..push({}); source |
| Reuters | Centre | In April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source |
| The Hill | Centre | In 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source |
| Jerusalem Post | Centre-right | In 1989, the paper was purchased by Hollinger Inc. for $17-million, which Canadian-born British Conservative Conrad Black owned. Conrad Black later was charged with “swindling his company, Hollinger International, of $60 million.” He was serving a prison sentence; however, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned him. source |
| New York Post | Centre-right | The New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which owns many conservative/sensational media outlets worldwide. The paper is funded through advertising, subscriptions, and newsstand sales. source |
| The Times | Centre-right | The Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source |
| Washington Times | Centre-right | Operations Holdings Inc is the Washington Times owner, owned by the Unification Church of South Korea, through their holding company HSA-UWC (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity). In 1954, Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded this religious movement in South Korea, known for its mass weddings, and its members are referred to as “Moonies.” source |
Social pulse
This is a signal of what people are discussing, not evidence of what happened. We don't rate the bias of social media posts.
AI-generated summary of X posts, written by X. Not verified fact.
North Korea Denies Role in Record $6.3 Billion Binance Hack
North Korea rejected FBI accusations linking its hackers to the October 29 breach that stole $6.3 billion from Binance, the largest crypto heist on record. Kim Yo Jong called the charges 'absurd rhetoric' aimed at painting Pyongyang as a cyber criminal state, while the FBI pointed to similarities with prior attacks like the 2025 Bybit incident. Binance replenished most stolen assets from its reserves amid a surge in customer withdrawals, as investigators track the remaining funds and North Korea frames the matter as political provocation.
Updated 4 Nov 03:17 UK time · View on X