CandleFocus

How North Korea Infiltrated the Crypto Industry

Crypto companies, including well-established projects like Injective, ZeroLend, Fantom, Sushi, Yearn Finance, and Cosmos Hub, have unknowingly hired IT workers from North Korea, in violation of US and international sanctions. North Korean IT workers used fake IDs, passed interviews and reference checks, and presented genuine work histories to secure employment. Hiring North Korean workers presents a security risk, with several examples of companies in this report hiring North Korean IT workers and subsequently experiencing hacks. These workers are believed to be earning as much as $600 million annually for the regime. The US Department of the Treasury and the Department of Justice have warned about North Korean IT workers infiltrating the crypto industry, although no crypto company has yet been prosecuted for inadvertently hiring North Koreans.

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