North Korean hackers are laundering $242M in stolen Binance funds through Tron and cross-chain bridges, with the FBI pressing THORChain to block identified addresses.
Security & Exploits ·
North Korean-linked hackers are moving $242 million in stolen Binance funds through Tron and cross-chain bridges in what researchers describe as a money-laundering operation. The FBI has pressed THORChain to block addresses associated with the theft, though the protocol has not yet disclosed whether it will comply.
The stolen assets have flowed through multiple DeFi channels off Tron, with Relay and THORChain handling the largest portions according to available analysis. Symbiosis, another bridge protocol, acknowledged that its transaction screening contains "gaps," suggesting incomplete detection of illicit activity passing through its infrastructure.
THORChain's response remains unclear. The protocol has not publicly stated whether it will act on the FBI's list of flagged addresses, leaving open the question of how decentralized protocols will coordinate with law enforcement on sanctions enforcement when designated bad actors attempt to move funds through their systems.