The Ethereum Foundation outlined how the ETH Rangers Program also led to the detection of hundreds of vulnerabilities and prompted dozens of incident responses, but the tally of DPRK-linked individuals hints at the scope of the challenge in human terms.
The ETH Rangers Program has wrapped up and the results speak for themselves: $5.8M+ recovered, 785+ vulnerabilities reported, 100+ DPRK operatives identified, and so much more.
A decentralized defence for a decentralized network.
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Research bankrolled by the Ethereum Foundation identified DPRK workers across roughly 53 crypto projects who were committed to helping the so-called Hermit Kingdom pull off its next heist.
Those detections were spearheaded by the Ketman Project, which also co-authored a framework for identifying DPRK workers with an organization called the Security Alliance (SEAL). “This work directly addresses one of the most pressing operational security threats facing the Ethereum ecosystem today,” the Foundation said.
The ETH Rangers Program benefited blockchain sleuth Nick Bax, who identified and notified more than 30 teams that DPRK workers were on their payroll. Ultimately, he was able to help freeze hundreds of thousands of dollars in crypto that bad actors had received.
On Wednesday, North Korea celebrated the birthday of its founder, Kim Il Sung. But the nation’s most important holiday coincided with disappointment for DPRK affiliates in the U.S.
For their roles in helping funnel millions of dollars from victimized U.S. companies overseas, the individuals received $700,000, authorities said. The DOJ noted, however, that eight defendants indicted in connection with the scheme remained on the loose.
