Lazarus Group, a notorious hacking group suspected to be backed by the North Korean government, has come into the spotlight once again. Recent data from blockchain analytics provider Dune Analytics reveals that the group possesses crypto assets worth more than $47 million. Stolen funds include popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, and Binance USD, among others. This blog post delves into the details of this cybercrime and its implications for the blockchain community.

A Decrease in Stolen Funds:
Compared to the $86 million previously held in September, the current value of the stolen funds has dwindled by $39 million. The discovery was made shortly after online gambling platform Stake fell victim to Lazarus Group, losing $55 million in the incident. Dune Analytics’ data indicates that the hackers’ wallets now contain $42.5 million in Bitcoin, $1.1 million in BNB, $1.9 million in Ethereum, and $640,000 in BUSD.

Absence of Privacy Coins:
Interestingly, the cybercriminals have not accumulated any privacy coins such as Monero and Zcash in their holdings. Privacy coins are known for their enhanced anonymity features, making them harder to trace on the blockchain compared to other cryptocurrencies.

Ongoing Tracking of Hacking Activity:
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has been monitoring digital wallets associated with the North Korean hacking group since their recent transaction on September 20. These wallets have remained active and are being tracked using Dune Analytics’ platform. However, it is worth noting that the mentioned crypto holdings are considered a lower-bound estimation based on publicly available information, as emphasized by 21.co, the parent company of Dune Analytics.

Continued Exploits on Crypto Platforms:
Lazarus Group has persistently targeted various crypto platforms, causing substantial financial losses. Hong Kong-based crypto exchange CoinEx fell victim to the group, losing an estimated $55.5 million in the process. The trail of evidence led on-chain investigators SlowMist and ZachXBT to identify the Lazarus Group as the perpetrator. Additionally, the group targeted Remitano, another centralized exchange, breaching its hot wallet and transferring approximately $2.7 million to an undisclosed wallet address without any transaction history.

Decrease in Cyberattacks:
While the group’s thefts this year have reached over $200 million, a significant decrease can be observed compared to their massive $1.6 billion cryptocurrency heists in 2022. Blockchain security firm Chainalysis reports an 80% decline in cyber attacks attributed to the Lazarus Group in the current year.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this research report is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial or investment advice. The NFT and cryptocurrency market is highly volatile, and readers should conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions.