North Korea's Cryptocurrency Hacking Strategy Expands, Targeting DeFi

Less than three weeks after hackers linked to North Korea used social engineering to breach crypto trading firm Drift, another major exploit was carried out on Kelp, a restaking protocol connected to LayerZero's cross-chain infrastructure. This attack suggests an evolution in North Korea-linked hackers' tactics, exploiting not just bugs or stolen credentials, but the fundamental assumptions of decentralized systems. Combined, these incidents point to a more organized effort by North Korea to hijack crypto funds, with over $500 million stolen in just over two weeks across the Drift and Kelp exploits.