North Korean IT workers frequently infiltrate cryptocurrency companies and launch hacking attacks after lying in wait

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, a dozen cryptocurrency companies unknowingly employed IT workers from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including established blockchain projects such as Injective, ZeroLend, Fantom, Sushi, Yearn Finance, and Cosmos Hub. These workers used fake IDs, successfully passed interviews, cleared background checks, and provided real work experience.

In the United States and other countries that sanction North Korea, hiring North Korean workers is illegal, and multiple companies that employed North Korean IT staff subsequently suffered hacking attacks. Noted blockchain developer Zaki Manian stated, "Everyone is trying to filter these people out." He inadvertently hired two North Korean IT workers to help develop the Cosmos Hub blockchain in 2021.

U.S. authorities have recently intensified warnings that North Korean IT workers are infiltrating tech companies and using the proceeds to fund nuclear weapons programs. An investigation revealed that North Korean job seekers are particularly aggressive and frequent in targeting cryptocurrency companies—successfully passing interviews, clearing background checks, and even showcasing impressive code contribution histories on the open-source software repository GitHub.