$2.17 billion hacking case: Why have North Korean hackers become the biggest threat in the crypto world?

【BitPush】The start of 2025 is turbulent. According to the latest intelligence from on-chain data tracking agencies, North Korean hackers set a rather unglorious record this year — stealing a total of over $2.17 billion in crypto assets, breaking historical records.

The most shocking incident was an attack on a certain exchange. The hackers successfully stole nearly $1.5 billion worth of Ethereum, setting a “ceiling” for single crypto hacking events in history. During the same period, North Korean hackers also launched a $37 million attack on South Korea’s Upbit exchange.

What’s a bit frightening is that these hacker organizations have not slowed down due to international sanctions. On the contrary, organizations like Lazarus are becoming increasingly cunning, continuously improving their methods and targeting various vulnerabilities within the global blockchain ecosystem.

Industry security experts admit: relying solely on sanctions is far from enough. What is truly needed is the entire industry working together, from exchanges, wallets, DeFi protocols to regulatory agencies, to establish a more robust defense system. Otherwise, this hacker group will continue to treat crypto assets as their “ATM.” It is expected that in the foreseeable future, these threats will continue to escalate.