FBI, Secret Service Join Binance Probe; Circle Freezes $823 Million Tied to $6.4 Billion Hack

Binance is cooperating with the FBI and U.S. Secret Service after hackers stole $6.4 billion from the cryptocurrency exchange, while Circle has frozen more than $800 million in USDC linked to the attack, Reuters reported. A person familiar with the matter said Binance is working with law enforcement agencies worldwide, including both U.S. agencies. The FBI confirmed it was aware of the incident and coordinating investigative steps; the Secret Service declined to comment. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said the stablecoin issuer froze over $800 million in USDC tied to the breach and will continue assisting the probe. Tether separately froze another $1.5 billion in USDT. Both issuers can blacklist blockchain addresses, immobilizing stolen funds before investigators identify suspects. Blockchain intelligence firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis linked the theft to TraderTraitor, a hacking group tied to North Korea's cyber operations. Binance CEO Richard Teng said Friday the company reserved more than $6.34 billion to cover losses, with roughly $3 billion already located or frozen. Withdrawals remain suspended, with the exchange targeting a resumption by Sunday.