North Korean hackers on a heist in the U.S.
12. September 2022_
Washington, Sept. 12, 2022
North Korean hackers on a heist in the U.S.
The US government seized $30 million in cryptocurrency last week. The cryptocurrency was stolen through the infamous Axie Infinity breach.
The North Korean-backed Lazarus Group stole over $600 million in cryptocurrency from Axie Infinity several months ago. Hackers stole over 173,000 ETH in a breach that is considered the largest of its kind.
The group managed to steal the cryptocurrency by breaking into the Ronin Network, a sidechain that uses Ethereum to provide additional features to players. To hide the transaction, the hackers used Tornado Cash, a U.S.-sanctioned cryptocurrency mixer that makes it difficult for authorities to track transactions on the blockchain.
Those $30 million represent 10% of the total amount stolen. Authorities did not confirm whether they have any clue about the rest of the stolen funds.
Researchers believe that since the U.S. sanctions on crypto-mixers, the chances of threat actors getting away with hacking campaigns and money laundering have significantly decreased.
