Analysts say that Lazarus, a hacker organization suspected of being operated by North Korean Reconnaissance General Bureau, has stolen more than $240 million in cryptocurrencies in the past three months.
On the 15th (local time), the cryptocurrency tracking company “Eliptic” released a report containing that the North Korean hacker organization Lazarus has strengthened its activities in recent months. Lazarus was involved in five major cryptocurrency hacking incidents in the last three months, according to the report. Most recently, this week, it is estimated that it hacked the cryptocurrency exchange CoinX and stole about $54 million “Lazarus appears to have stolen about $240 million in cryptocurrencies over the past 104 days,” Eliptic said.
Earlier on the 7th, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also announced that Lazarus stole $41 million worth of cryptocurrency from the online casino and betting platform “Steak Dotcom.” “Lazarus appears to have stolen cryptocurrencies across several smart chain networks, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Polygon,” the FBI said.
North Korea’s systematic cryptocurrency hacking is emerging as a major headache for the international community. According to Chainalisys, a U.S. cryptocurrency investigation company, nearly half of the 3.8 billion dollar stolen worldwide last year, or 1.7 billion dollars, are believed to be related to North Korean hackers.
Analysts say that North Korea, which is subject to economic sanctions by the international community, uses cryptocurrency hacking as a major means of earning foreign currency. There is also a steady possibility that North Korea will use the funds raised through cryptocurrency hacking to develop nuclear weapons programs. The U.S. White House said in June that North Korea is estimated to raise about half of its missile program through cryptocurrency theft and cyberattacks.
