The United States points to a group linked to North Korea over the Axis Infinity hack

The United States has linked the Lazarus group, an online crime group affiliated with the North Korean government, to the hacking of the online game Axie Infinity last month. Theft, which infiltrated the game-running network, is one of the largest in the 13-year history of cryptocurrencies. During the attack, the criminals stole $ 540 million worth of 173,600 ethers and 25.5 million worth of staple coin USD or USDC.

The Foreign Property Control Office of the Department of the Treasury maintains a database of groups that are permitted to do business illegally. On Thursday, the agency updated the ban on Gropo Lazarus having the cryptocurrency address used for the hack.

A Treasury spokesman said the North Korean government relied heavily on illegal activities, including cybercrime, to raise revenue for its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. The Axie-hack wallet was discovered during a joint investigation by the Treasury Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

A spokesman said cryptocurrency companies enforcing anti-money laundering laws were “critical suffocation” to prevent the movement of these funds because the stolen funds had to be converted into cash. Also, anyone who trades with an approved portfolio is subject to US restrictions.

The Lazarus Group is a union of cybercriminals working for the North Korean government, according to the cryptocurrency forensic firm Chainalysis. The group stole about $ 1.75 billion worth of cryptocurrencies between 2017 and 2020, the biggest hack of 2020, including the $ 275 million cacao exchange hack, Chainysis estimates.