North Korean hackers launder stolen Binance funds using NEAR meme coins
Image: U.TodayNorth Korea-linked hackers used six new meme tokens on the NEAR blockchain to launder stolen funds from the October Binance hack. According to analytics firm Elliptic, the actors minted tokens between November 5 and November 7 to disguise the movement of money. Roughly 117,000 stolen NEAR moved through decentralized exchange liquidity pools. This method broke the direct on-chain link between wallets.
Key points
- North Korean hackers laundered stolen Binance funds using six meme tokens on the NEAR blockchain.
- Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic reported that the tokens were minted between November 5 and November 7.
- Roughly 117,000 stolen NEAR moved through the scheme to break the direct on-chain connection between wallets.
Why it matters
Traders purchasing meme coins on decentralized exchanges risk acquiring assets tied to illicit activity and facing associated liquidity problems.
Sources · 4 publishers
U.Today
Tier 2
North Korean Hackers Flip Stolen Binance Funds Into NEAR Meme Coins
Bitcoin Magazine
Tier 1
North Korea Is Minting Its Own Meme Coins to Launder Binance Hack Loot
Unchained
Tier 1
North Korea Turns DIY Meme Coins Into a Laundering Pipe for Stolen Binance Crypto, Elliptic Says
Coverage timeline
- First reported by Crypto Briefing
- Also reported by U.Today
- CryptoVideos brief published
- 1 more publisher added to sources
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
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