Investors take out $3.6bn from Binance after record hack that stole billions

Cryptocurrency exchange has begun to allow withdrawals after $6.3bn theft believed to have come from North Korea

Investors have pulled $3.6bn (£2.7bn) in funds from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, as it recovers from a record hack in which billions were stolen from customer accounts.

The platform was hit by a $6.3bn theft on Thursday, which has since been described as the biggest heist in history. Experts identified North Korea as the likely culprit.

Binance initially froze withdrawals as it investigated the breach but on Sunday announced that it had begun a phased reopening.

By Sunday afternoon, Binance had processed $4.6bn in withdrawals and $1bn in deposits, resulting in a net outflow of about $3.6bn – representing 2.1% of its $171bn in total assets under management.