North Korean hackers launder Binance hack funds via NEAR meme tokens
Image: CryptoPotatoElliptic reports that North Korean hackers created six meme‑style tokens on the NEAR blockchain between 5 and 7 November. Each token cost about 25 NEAR (~$90). The tokens were paired with NEAR or stablecoins in DEX liquidity pools, allowing stolen Binance funds to be swapped without direct transfers. Around 117,000 NEAR, worth roughly $430,000, moved through the pools. The same technique was seen in the 2025 Bybit hack and on TRON and SOL.
Key points
- Each token cost roughly 25 NEAR, about $90 to launch.
- Approximately 117,000 NEAR, valued at $430,000, was moved through the tokens' liquidity pools.
- The laundering method mirrors a technique used in the 2025 Bybit hack and has appeared on TRON and SOL.
Why it matters
The scheme shows how attackers can obscure stolen crypto using cheap meme tokens and DEX pools, complicating traceability for exchanges and regulators.
What's unclear
It is unclear how many exchanges will adopt Elliptic's warning and adjust compliance procedures regarding liquidity‑pool funds.
Price context · SOL
At publication
$83.26
Now
$83.22
Change since
−0.05%
7 days · dashed line = publication
Sources · 2 publishers
AMBCrypto
Tier 2
Binance hack funds worth $430K traced through 6 NEAR memecoins – Report
Coverage timeline
- First reported by CryptoPotato
- Also reported by AMBCrypto
- CryptoVideos brief published
How this page is checked. AI drafted this brief from selected independent reports. Automated checks compare numbers, source coverage and topic terms, but may miss errors. Publication and evidence refreshes run automatically. Read the linked reports for context. Report an error
AXS
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