Wallets linked to North Korea's Lazarus Group moved more than $30 million in Bitcoin through decentralized exchange Hyperliquid over three weeks, raising sanctions compliance questions as the platform pursues US market entry through talks with Kraken parent Payward.
Following $3.4 billion in crypto thefts in 2025 and over $1 billion stolen in the first half of 2026, investigators reveal hackers have approximately 45 days to launder stolen assets before trails go cold. The Bybit exchange has recovered $48.4 million after suing North Korea's Lazarus Group, with a US court freezing $30.5 million in related assets.
Crypto exchange Bybit filed a civil lawsuit against North Korea, its intelligence agency, and the Lazarus Group over the February 2026 hack. A U.S. federal judge granted Bybit's request to trace stolen assets.
Aave has progressed to Phase II of recovering exploited rsETH funds following a $200 million bad debt event linked to the Lazarus Group, with $71 million in ETH returns moving forward despite no flaws in Aave's own contracts.
