In an unprecedented move, the FBI has reached out to the cryptocurrency industry for assistance in tracking and blocking the movement of $1.5 billion stolen from Bybit by North Korean hackers. This marks a critical moment in the ongoing battle against state-sponsored cyber theft.

The federal agency published a comprehensive list of Ethereum addresses connected to the stolen assets in a public service announcement released Wednesday. The FBI confirmed North Korean involvement in the attack and specifically identified it as a “TraderTraitor” operation.

This massive security breach, now recognized as the largest cryptocurrency exchange hack in history, was previously linked to the notorious North Korean Lazarus group by blockchain analytics companies. The hackers made off with a staggering amount of ether and ETH staking tokens last week.

According to the FBI’s announcement, the hackers are already working to obscure their digital trail by converting the stolen assets to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies “across thousands of addresses on multiple blockchains.” Law enforcement officials anticipate further laundering attempts as the attackers work toward eventually converting the digital assets to traditional currency.

The FBI’s request for industry cooperation highlights the increasing importance of public-private partnerships in combating sophisticated cyber threats, especially those with state backing.