Cryptocurrency

Massive Crypto Theft: North Korean Hackers Stole $3 Billion in 5 Years

It has been uncovered that North Korean hackers orchestrated a series of audacious cyber heists, successfully pilfering a staggering $3 billion in cryptocurrency over the course of five years.

Published

4 months ago

June 13, 2023

Investors King

It has been uncovered that North Korean hackers orchestrated a series of audacious cyber heists, successfully pilfering a staggering $3 billion in cryptocurrency over the course of five years. These brazen cybercriminals, believed to be predominantly operating from Russia and China, have left a trail of unprecedented digital thefts in their wake.

The extent of their activities and the magnitude of the stolen funds have thrust them into the spotlight as one of the most prolific hacking groups in recent memory.

Employing highly sophisticated techniques, the hackers seamlessly assumed the roles of government officials, recruiters, and other trusted figures to execute their nefarious schemes. This allowed them to infiltrate numerous digital wallets and exchanges, siphoning off billions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrencies.

One of the most remarkable incidents attributed to this group involves the notorious North Korean Lazarus group, whose audacity knows no bounds. They targeted Axie Infinity’s Ronin blockchain, a prominent platform in the world of decentralized gaming. In this audacious attack, the hackers made off with a jaw-dropping $625 million worth of Ethereum and USDC, securing their place in the annals of the largest crypto hacks of all time.

Experts in the field of cybersecurity have been astounded by the technical prowess displayed by these North Korean hackers. Their intricate maneuvers and sophisticated methods have left U.S. officials and researchers impressed, as they have yet to witness such meticulous execution elsewhere. This growing expertise has raised concerns about the increasing sophistication and capabilities of cybercriminals.

Disturbingly, it has come to light that North Korea is leveraging cybercrime as a crucial source of funding for its ballistic missile program. Recent investigations have uncovered a rampant effort by these hackers to steal cryptocurrencies and covertly convert them into hard cash, ultimately fueling the weapons programs of the regime led by dictator Kim Jong Un.

In a chilling account reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the extent of North Korea’s deceitful operations became painfully apparent. An unsuspecting engineer from a blockchain gaming company, eagerly anticipating a promising job opportunity, found himself entangled in the web of a vast North Korean operation. The engineer received a message from a recruiter on LinkedIn, believing it to be a genuine offer. However, little did he know that the ensuing events were part of an intricate scheme. A seemingly harmless document, purportedly related to the interview process, harbored malicious code that granted the hackers access to his computer. This breach paved the way for the hackers to infiltrate the company’s network, resulting in the brazen theft of over $600 million.

The alarming surge in the number of crypto hacks highlights the growing sophistication of cybercriminals. While exchanges have made strides in fortifying their defenses and minimizing the impact of individual hackers, the frequency of attacks continues to rise. This calls for heightened vigilance and ongoing efforts to combat cyber threats, safeguarding the digital assets of individuals and organizations alike.

As the world grapples with the pervasive menace of cybercrime, the brazen exploits of North Korean hackers serve as a stark reminder of the evolving landscape of digital security. The race to stay one step ahead of these cybercriminals has never been more crucial, as the stakes are higher than ever before.

Up Next

Binance.US and SEC Collaborate to Avoid Asset Freeze, Aim for Compromise

Don't Miss

Binance Issues Notice on The Removal of 20 Spot Trading Pairs on June 14, 2023

Investors King

Comments

Cryptocurrency

Mixin Network Halts Services After $200 Million Security Breach; Recovery Plan in Progress

Published

6 days ago

September 25, 2023

Investors King

Mixin Network, a prominent decentralized wallet service provider, has been rocked by a massive security breach resulting in a loss of $200 million.

The breach, attributed to vulnerabilities in its cloud service provider’s database, has raised questions about the platform’s dependence on centralized infrastructure.

Mixin Network, known for its support of 48 public blockchains and an impressive total network asset value exceeding $1 billion, halted deposit and withdrawal services following the breach.

This incident has prompted discussions within the crypto community regarding the risks associated with centralization in decentralized platforms.

In response to the breach, Mixin Network has taken swift action, enlisting the expertise of blockchain security specialists from SlowMist.

The company has pledged to resume services only after thoroughly addressing identified vulnerabilities, a decision reached through consensus among all network nodes.

The plan for asset recovery will be announced in due course, and Mixin founder Feng Xiaodong will provide a detailed explanation in a public livestream.

The Mixin incident follows closely on the heels of the JPEX cryptocurrency exchange scandal in Hong Kong, which has left countless individuals reeling from financial losses totaling $178 million.

Experts now speculate that these recent setbacks may lead the Hong Kong government to reconsider its enthusiastic promotion of Web3 technologies, as concerns over security and public sentiment cast a shadow on the region’s cryptocurrency ambitions.

Carlton Lai, head of blockchain and cryptocurrency research at Daiwa Capital Markets, said, “I think this scandal will have a pretty sizeable negative impact on retail sentiment, given its significant local presence and the various celebrities involved.”

As Hong Kong grapples with the fallout from these high-profile incidents, the future of cryptocurrency in the region remains uncertain, with questions of regulation and security taking center stage.

Cryptocurrency

Dallas Mavericks Owner and Billionaire Tech Investor, Mark Cuban, Falls Victim to Phishing Attack, Losing $870,000 in Crypto Assets

Published

2 weeks ago

September 18, 2023

Samed Olukoya

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a prominent billionaire technology investor, recently fell prey to a phishing attack, resulting in a loss of approximately $870,000 worth of tokens.

The incident occurred over the weekend after months of inactivity on Cuban’s crypto wallet.

Phishing attacks, a prevalent threat in the crypto industry, deceive users into revealing sensitive information, downloading malicious software, and exposing their private data.

These attacks exploit users’ trust, often causing them to overlook the authenticity of incoming requests on their crypto wallets or unwittingly download counterfeit applications designed solely to pilfer their assets.

Cuban’s crypto wallet was emptied of various assets, including U.S.-pegged stablecoins, staked ETH (stETH), SuperRare (RARE) tokens, and some Ethereum Name Service (ENS) domains, according to blockchain data.

The initial discovery of these suspicious transactions was made by the vigilant on-chain investigator @wazzcrypto.

Fortunately, Cuban was alerted to these transactions, and he managed to safeguard over $2.5 million worth of Polygon’s MATIC tokens.

He accomplished this by promptly logging into his wallet and transferring the tokens to a secure Coinbase exchange address.

Cuban revealed that the phishing attack was apparently initiated through a fraudulent MetaMask wallet application that he had unwittingly downloaded.

This incident marks the second high-profile phishing attack in as many weeks, following Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s experience in early September. Buterin’s X account was compromised in a phishing attack, although he did not appear to lose any of his own funds.

Nevertheless, unsuspecting users collectively suffered losses of up to $700,000 by sending tokens to a malicious link that falsely appeared to have Buterin’s endorsement.

As the crypto industry continues to thrive, it is crucial for users to exercise caution and remain vigilant to safeguard their digital assets from the ever-present threat of phishing attacks.

Ethereum

RxR Analysis Reveals: Ether’s True Worth 27% Higher than Market Price

Published

2 weeks ago

September 18, 2023

Samed Olukoya

RxR, a research-driven partnership between Republic Crypto and Re7 Capital, has revealed that Ether (ETH), the native token of the Ethereum blockchain, is currently trading at a 27% discount to its actual fair value.

This revelation comes as a result of RxR’s innovative approach to evaluating the worth of cryptocurrencies. Instead of relying solely on traditional metrics, RxR’s methodology incorporates a blended version of the Metcalfe law that takes into account both the active user base on the continuously expanding Ethereum scaling networks and the users on the Ethereum mainnet.

Ether, as a fundamental component of the Ethereum ecosystem, facilitates a wide range of activities, from simple transactions to participating in network security through staking, earning interest, and even storing non-fungible tokens. As such, the value of Ether has long been intertwined with Ethereum’s network usage.

Lewis Harland, an analyst at RxR, explained the significance of this approach, stating, “Ethereum’s network valuation exhibits a closer alignment with the updated Metcalfe law index when the active user base of Ethereum’s scaling networks is included in the model, in contrast to when it is omitted.”

Harland continued, “The updated model, which factors in these networks, places ETH’s valuation at $275 billion, indicating that the current market capitalization is trading at a substantial 27% discount.”

Ether’s market capitalization consistently tracks the blended Metcalfe law model more accurately than the traditional model, which fails to consider the growing activity on layer 2 networks or offchain solutions built atop the Ethereum mainnet.

In essence, this analysis challenges the perception that Ether might be overvalued, as suggested by the traditional Metcalfe law Model.

The emergence of Layer 2 technology has undoubtedly become one of the most dynamic and exciting developments in the crypto market. Key protocols, such as Coinbase’s BASE, Arbitrum, and Optimism, have found their unique niches within this landscape.

According to data from L2Beat, the total value locked in layer 2 protocols has surged more than threefold in just two years, reaching an impressive milestone of over $9 billion.