Get an in-depth look at the Lazarus Group, a North Korean hacker group known for its large-scale attacks and crypto-thefts.
With over $45 million in cryptocurrency assets, what are they really up to?
Our detailed report dives into their portfolio, hacking history, and more, unveiling critical details about this elusive group.
Contents
Overview of Assets Held by Lazarus Group
Known as APT38, the North Korean hacker group "Lazarus Group" has been revealed to possess over $45 million worth of cryptocurrency.
This information comes from a dashboard developed by 21.co, the parent company of Switzerland-based asset management firm 21Shares. As of September 28, 2023, the total balance is stated to be $45,639,548.
The team at 21.co has extracted this data by tracking 295 cryptocurrency wallets that have been identified by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Inside the dashboard, a variety of information is compiled about the Lazarus Group, such as "previous hacking incidents, total assets held, total stablecoins held, inflows and outflows in the past 24 hours, and details of the cryptocurrencies owned."
Notable Hacking Incidents by Lazarus Group
Examples of large-scale hacking incidents carried out by Lazarus Group include the following:
- March 29, 2022: About $620 million stolen at Sky Mavis's Ronin Bridge
- June 22, 2022: About $100 million stolen at Harmony's Horizon Bridge
- June 2023: About $100 million stolen at Atomic Wallet
- July 22, 2023: About $60 million stolen at Alphapo
- July 22, 2023: About $37 million stolen at CoinsPaid
- September 4, 2023: About $41 million stolen at Stake.com
Cryptocurrency Portfolio of Lazarus Group
The cryptocurrencies held by Lazarus Group include "BTC, ETH, BNB, BUSD, stETH, AAVE, PAW," among others. The reported quantities and percentages of each cryptocurrency held as of September 28, 2023, are as follows:
| Asset | Quantity | Value | Percentage of Holdings |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | 1,600 | $41.93 million | 91.58% |
| ETH | 1,200 | $1.92 million | 4.18% |
| BNB | 5,000 | $1.06 million | 2.31% |
| BUSD | 640,000 | $640,000 | 1.40% |
| stETH | 99.5 | $158,770 | 0.35% |
| AAVE | 990 | $59,590 | 0.13% |
| PAW | 3,250,000,000 | $24,930 | 0.05% |
The FBI had reported at the end of August that "North Korea might attempt to cash out over $40 million worth of BTC," which closely aligns with the data revealed here.
It is believed that North Korea uses the stolen cryptocurrency assets for "nuclear missile development."
Recent reports also indicate that the "South Korean government is preparing legislation to track and freeze assets stolen by North Korea."
-
HTX Cryptocurrency Exchange: Loss of ~$8 Million in ETH Due to Hacking Attack
Learn about the hacking incident at the HTX cryptocurrency exchange, resulting in a loss of about $8 million in ETH. Find out the subsequent actions taken by the exchange and its advisor Justin Sun.
続きを見る