The latest claims suggest that $615 million worth Axie Infinity heist is linked to a North Korean hackers called Lazarus Group. The US has accused North Korean hackers of stealing $615 million in cryptocurrency from players of the popular online game Axie Infinity in March.
Lazarus Group might be the ones carried out the Axie Infinity heist
According to the US officials the data breach is linked to a hacker crew called “Lazarus group” that is claimed to be connected to North Koread’s primary intelligence bureau.
On a statement on Thursday the FBI said:
“Through our investigations we were able to confirm Lazarus Group and APT38, cyber actors associated with [North Korea], are responsible for the theft.”
The Lazarus Group gained infamy in 2014 when they were accused of hacking into Sony Pictures and releasing sensitive information. The group requested that Sony cancel its forthcoming film, The Interview, a comedic drama about a plot to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
The UN commission that oversees sanctions on North Korea has accused Pyongyang of using illicit resources to back its nuclear and missile development in order to avoid international repercussions.
According to Reuters, a Treasury Department spokesperson stated that:
“The United States is aware that the DPRK has increasingly relied on illicit activities – including cybercrime – to generate revenue for its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs as it tries to evade robust US and UN sanctions.”
According to 2020 US military report, North Korea’s hacking capability allegedly dates back to the mid-1990s and has expanded into a 6,000-person cyber warfare unit known as Bureau 121, which is based out of several nations, including Belarus, China, India, Malaysia, and Russia.
North Korean hackers have stolen almost $400 million worth of digital assets in at least seven assaults on cryptocurrency platforms in 2021, according to Chainalysis, a blockchain analysis firm.
What is Axie Infinity?
The game allows players to earn cryptocurrency through gameplay or by trading their avatars. It’s quite possible that this hack is one of the most significant in crypto history. Axie Infinity is “a new type of game, partially owned and operated by its players. Earn AXS tokens by playing and use them to decide the future of the game,” according to its official website description.
AXS price
At the time of writing, an Axie Infinity coin (AXS) is worth $48.176.
