Lazarus Group: Crypto Heists, North Korea, and the Hackers Behind the Scenes

When you hear about a crypto exchange getting wiped out in a single day, chances are it wasn’t some lone hacker—it was the Lazarus Group, a state-sponsored cyberwarfare unit tied to North Korea that specializes in stealing cryptocurrency to fund its regime. Also known as APT38, this group doesn’t just break into systems—they plan like military operatives, target weak points, and vanish before anyone notices. Unlike random scammers chasing quick gains, Lazarus operates with patience, precision, and billions in backing.

They’ve hit everything from major exchanges like Binance and KuCoin to DeFi protocols and even crypto startups with less than a year in business. In 2022 alone, they stole over $600 million from the Axie Infinity sidechain Ronin, one of the largest crypto heists ever recorded. Their tools? Custom malware, fake job postings targeting developers, and phishing campaigns that look like official emails from Coinbase or MetaMask. They don’t need fancy AI—they just exploit human error and outdated security.

What makes them dangerous isn’t just their skill—it’s their motive. While most hackers want money for themselves, Lazarus steals to keep North Korea’s economy alive. Sanctions have cut off their access to global banking, so they turn to crypto. Every stolen ETH, BTC, or USDT becomes fuel for their nuclear program. And because they’re backed by a nation-state, they’re nearly impossible to stop. Law enforcement can track wallets, but they can’t arrest someone sitting in a bunker in Pyongyang.

You might think this doesn’t affect you—but it does. If you’re using an exchange with weak security, or storing crypto in a wallet that doesn’t use multi-sig or hardware keys, you’re a target. Lazarus doesn’t care if you’re a billionaire or a beginner. They scan the entire blockchain looking for vulnerabilities. And they’ve already proven they can break into platforms that claimed to be "unhackable."

This collection of articles dives into the real-world impact of Lazarus Group’s actions: how they’ve shaped crypto security standards, why some projects keep getting hit, and what you can do to avoid becoming their next victim. You’ll find breakdowns of past attacks, analysis of how they move stolen funds, and guides on securing your assets against the same tactics they use. This isn’t theory—it’s a survival guide for anyone holding crypto today.