North Korea Stole 61% of Crypto in 2024 Only To See Darknet Crime Surge
The post North Korea Stole 61% of Crypto in 2024 Only To See Darknet Crime Surge appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. North Korea’s reach in the world of crypto crime is growing fast. Last year, the regime’s hackers took $1.34 billion in digital assets, more than every other group put together. That figure alone made up 61% of all crypto theft in 2024, based on data from Chainalysis. But it’s not just the size of the thefts that is important. Their methods are getting sharper. And while North Korea remains the biggest name in the game, it’s now part of a wider, darker ecosystem. North Korea’s Attacks Are Getting Sharper… In 2024, hacks specific to North Korea happened roughly once every 11 days. That’s quicker than the 13-day pace seen in 2023, per Chainalysis. Most of these breaches came down to private key theft, a tactic that helped drive North Korea’s total share to nearly 61% of all stolen crypto value last year. Time difference between attacks- Source: Crypto Crime Report Hacking pattern DPRK- Source: Crypto Crime Report Once stolen, the crypto is usually moved through mixers like Sinbad or obscure bridges. About $147 million was laundered through Sinbad alone in 2024. After Tornado Cash got sanctioned, North Korea’s laundering ops didn’t slow. Lazarus Allegedly Hit Bybit for $1.5B But There’s Crime Beyond North Korea Some breaches weren’t part of the Chainalysis breakdown. In early 2025, Lazarus, a North Korean cyber unit with known ties to state operations, allegedly drained $1.5 billion worth of ETH from Bybit. The exploit came through a vulnerable multisig bridge setup. North Korea may be ahead in scale, but others are close behind. Chainalysis’ report says crypto scams brought in $9.9 billion last year. The tactics have moved beyond basic tricks. Now, its fake profiles powered by AI, deepfake video calls, and long-game romance or investment scams. These aren’t clumsy one-off attempts. Scammers are using full…
The post North Korea Stole 61% of Crypto in 2024 Only To See Darknet Crime Surge appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
North Korea’s reach in the world of crypto crime is growing fast. Last year, the regime’s hackers took $1.34 billion in digital assets, more than every other group put together. That figure alone made up 61% of all crypto theft in 2024, based on data from Chainalysis. But it’s not just the size of the thefts that is important. Their methods are getting sharper. And while North Korea remains the biggest name in the game, it’s now part of a wider, darker ecosystem. North Korea’s Attacks Are Getting Sharper… In 2024, hacks specific to North Korea happened roughly once every 11 days. That’s quicker than the 13-day pace seen in 2023, per Chainalysis. Most of these breaches came down to private key theft, a tactic that helped drive North Korea’s total share to nearly 61% of all stolen crypto value last year. Time difference between attacks- Source: Crypto Crime Report Hacking pattern DPRK- Source: Crypto Crime Report Once stolen, the crypto is usually moved through mixers like Sinbad or obscure bridges. About $147 million was laundered through Sinbad alone in 2024. After Tornado Cash got sanctioned, North Korea’s laundering ops didn’t slow. Lazarus Allegedly Hit Bybit for $1.5B But There’s Crime Beyond North Korea Some breaches weren’t part of the Chainalysis breakdown. In early 2025, Lazarus, a North Korean cyber unit with known ties to state operations, allegedly drained $1.5 billion worth of ETH from Bybit. The exploit came through a vulnerable multisig bridge setup. North Korea may be ahead in scale, but others are close behind. Chainalysis’ report says crypto scams brought in $9.9 billion last year. The tactics have moved beyond basic tricks. Now, its fake profiles powered by AI, deepfake video calls, and long-game romance or investment scams. These aren’t clumsy one-off attempts. Scammers are using full…
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