United Nations sanctions monitor uncovered evidence of North Korean money laundering involving $147.5 million, facilitated by the virtual platform Tornado Cash in March. The monitors’ report show 97 suspected cyberattacks by North Korea on cryptocurrency companies from 2017 to 2024, totaling $3.6 billion.
However, the North Korean hackers are said to have done 11 cryptocurrency thefts in 2024 that reached $54.7 million. These attacks frequently include North Korean IT workers who were unintentionally hired by small crypto-related companies, giving them access to exploit platforms.
In 2022, the U.S. government declared Tornado Cash as the offender for the North Korean cybercriminals’ alleged support. Besides, Alexey Pertsev, the developer of Tornado Cash, was sentenced to 64 months in prison in the Netherlands for money laundering more than $1. 2 billion.
Besides, reports also show that there are still cyber threats from North Korea, with the Kimsuky Group using the new malware called Durian to attack South Korean crypto firms.