North Korean hackers have stolen $2.83 billion in cryptocurrency since January 2024, accounting for nearly one-third of the country’s foreign currency income according to a new report from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team. The sophisticated cybercrime operation shows a dramatic escalation in 2025, with hackers stealing $1.64 billion in the first nine months alone – a 50% increase from the previous year – revealing an increasingly sophisticated money laundering network and growing collaboration with Russian cybercriminals that threatens global financial security.
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Bunni DEX Shuts Down After $8.4M Hack, Cites Audit Costs
The decentralized exchange Bunni has announced its permanent closure following a devastating $8.4 million hack in September, marking another casualty in 2025’s escalating cryptocurrency security crisis. Founders cited insurmountable recovery costs, including six to seven-figure audit expenses, as the primary reason for shutting down rather than attempting a secure relaunch. While users can still withdraw their assets, the platform’s demise underscores the critical vulnerabilities facing DeFi protocols and the enormous financial barriers to proper security implementation.
read moreDeFi Developers Face Retroactive Prosecution Risk
Open source software developers building decentralized finance protocols face significant legal uncertainty in the United States, with current laws failing to provide explicit protections against retroactive prosecution by the Department of Justice. Roman Storm, creator of the Tornado Cash privacy protocol, has sounded the alarm about how DeFi developers could face charges as unregistered money service businesses for building non-custodial protocols, highlighting the legal ambiguity threatening innovation in the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency space.
read moreSenate Democrats’ DeFi Bill Sparks Industry Backlash
A confidential Senate Democratic bill proposing sweeping KYC and AML requirements for DeFi protocols, validators, and node operators has ignited fierce industry backlash and bipartisan tension. The leaked legislation, which would grant the Treasury Department authority to create restricted protocol lists, threatens to accelerate the flight of US crypto liquidity to offshore platforms that already dominate global trading volume. Market analysts warn the regulations could fragment markets, widen spreads, and permanently damage America’s competitive position in the emerging crypto economy.
read moreNorth Korean Hackers Steal $21M from SBI Crypto Mining Pool
Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings has suffered a devastating security breach as North Korean-linked hackers stole $21 million from its cryptocurrency mining subsidiary, SBI Crypto. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT and security firm Cyvers detected suspicious outflows of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash on September 24, 2025, with the stolen funds rapidly funneled through instant exchanges and deposited into the sanctioned privacy mixer Tornado Cash. The attack exhibits multiple technical similarities to previous operations by the notorious North Korean Lazarus Group, highlighting critical security vulnerabilities as traditional financial institutions expand into cryptocurrency services.
read moreSBI Crypto Loses $21M in North Korea-Linked Hack
Japanese mining giant SBI Crypto has suffered a sophisticated $21 million theft linked to North Korean state-sponsored hackers, marking another major crypto heist in a year where DPRK-backed groups have stolen over $1.8 billion. Blockchain researcher ZachXBT identified the October 1 breach involving Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Bitcoin Cash, with funds quickly routed through instant exchanges before entering privacy mixer Tornado Cash, highlighting the growing sophistication of North Korea’s crypto theft operations.
read more$21M Crypto Stolen from Japanese Miner SBI Crypto
Japanese crypto mining firm SBI Crypto has suffered a major security breach with approximately $21 million in digital assets stolen from its addresses. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT revealed the funds were laundered through the controversial mixing service Tornado Cash, with indicators pointing to North Korean involvement, marking the latest in a series of devastating crypto thefts that have plagued the industry in early 2024.
read moreTornado Cash Founder Seeks Acquittal in Landmark Crypto Case
Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm has launched a legal challenge seeking to overturn his conviction for unlicensed money transmission, arguing prosecutors failed to prove he intended to help criminals misuse the cryptocurrency mixing service. In a motion filed with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Storm’s defense team contends the government’s case relies on a “negligence theory” rather than demonstrating actual criminal intent, setting up a pivotal test for how US courts handle decentralized finance protocols and their creators.
read moreDurov: French Intel Sought Moldova Election Censorship
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has accused French intelligence of exploiting his legal situation to pressure the removal of opposition channels during Moldova’s elections. The allegations emerge amid ongoing parliamentary voting marked by claims of Russian interference. The case highlights growing state pressure on digital platforms and privacy-focused technologies, with significant implications for both messaging apps and cryptocurrency networks.
read moreHypervault Finance $3.6M Tornado Cash Withdrawal Sparks Rug Pull Fears
Yield farming platform Hypervault Finance has transferred $3.6 million to crypto mixer Tornado Cash in what security firms are calling an ‘abnormal withdrawal.’ The project’s website and social media accounts have gone dark following the incident, raising concerns of a potential rug pull. This comes just days after Hypervault announced surpassing $5 million in total value locked.
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