🕵️♂️ Lazarus Group Steals $2.17B: The Escalation of Crypto Cyber-War
North Korea's Lazarus Group has had a record-breaking 2025, stealing over $2.17 billion in cryptocurrency—surpassing all of 2024.
The tactics have evolved from phishing to complex social engineering and supply-chain compromises. The stolen funds are typically washed through mixers like Tornado Cash and bridged to Tron ($USDT) to bypass seizures.
The scale of these thefts creates a "security tax" for the industry, forcing stricter KYC and higher fees. Regulators use these statistics to argue for draconian laws that could stifle DeFi innovation.
Expect "White-listed" DeFi pools to become the institutional standard in 2026 to avoid "tainted" coins. A major UN or US sanctions package against mixing services is likely in Q1.
DeFi security is no longer just a technical issue; it is now a matter of geopolitical stability.
Can we ever truly stop state-sponsored hackers in a decentralized system?
#NorthKorea #LazarusGroup #CryptoHacks #Regulation
