According to Cointelegraph, governments around the world are hunting down North Korean hackers, who are accused of being responsible for more than half of the stolen value in the cryptocurrency space in 2024. North Korean hackers such as the notorious Lazarus Group are the main suspects in multiple cyber thefts in the Web3 space, including the $600 million Ronin cyberattack.
South Korea recently imposed sanctions on 15 members of a North Korean IT organization and a related organization, accusing them of raising funds for North Korea's nuclear missile development program and military industry through "foreign exchange earning activities overseas."
According to Chainalysis, North Korean hackers stole more than $1.34 billion in digital assets in 47 incidents in 2024, a 102% increase from $660 million in 2023. These thefts accounted for 61% of the total stolen cryptocurrency value in 2024.
Chainalysis pointed out that the frequency of attacks worth $50 million to $100 million and above increased significantly in 2024, showing that North Korea has become faster and more effective in large-scale attacks.