The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently alerted the crypto industry of suspicious Bitcoin transactions linked to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The FBI identified the perpetrators as “TraderTraitor-affiliated actors”, also known as Lazarus Group and APT38. The Bureau tracked a significant movement of roughly 1,580 bitcoin, worth more than $40 million. The FBI is concerned that the DPRK could be prepping to liquidate these assets.The FBI warned cryptocurrency companies of the blockchain activity connected to the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency and that the DPRK may attempt to cash out the bitcoin. These high-profile heists have shaken the crypto landscape, with notable thefts including a massive $60 million from payment processor Alphapo and an astounding $100 million exploit of Atomic Wallet.Cybersecurity giants and international communities have been echoing warnings and emphasizing heightened digital security. Last year, the FBI had revealed that the same groups were behind the Horizon Bridge hack, resulting in losses north of $100 million. The industry has shown resilience and collective action against these cyber threats, such as when Lazarus attempted to move funds amounting to $63 million linked to the Horizon bridge, a combined effort from exchanges and other crypto entities effectively blocked the transfers.The FBI has released six specific bitcoin addresses associated with the stolen assets and urged “private sector entities to examine the blockchain data associated with these addresses and be vigilant in guarding against transactions directly with, or derived from, the addresses.” The FBI concluded their statement by asserting their dedication to curb such malicious activities. At press time, the BTC price was at $26,018.
| Information |
Details |
| Geography |
Asia |
| Countries |
🇺🇸 |
| Sentiment |
negative |
| Relevance Score |
8 |
| People |
Nikesh Arora, FBI |
| Companies |
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Lazarus Group, APT38, Alphapo, Atomic Wallet, Palo Alto Networks, Sky Mavis, Ethereum, Ronin Bridge |
| Currencies |
Bitcoin, Ethereum, DPRK, USD, EUR |
| Securities |
None |
