←back to thread

Hackers stole billions in crypto to keep North Korea’s regime afloat

(www.wsj.com)
125 points Bostonian | 3 comments | 03 Apr 25 13:03 UTC | HN request time: 0.636s | source
Show context
rchaud ◴[03 Apr 25 15:16 UTC] No.43570964[source]▶
> Hackers then send the ether to “mixers”—crypto platforms that co-mingle tokens from various users, obscuring their ownership. After that, the ether is swapped for bitcoin and then converted into tether, a token whose value is linked to the U.S. dollar.

Good timing for the US to lift sanctions on Tornado Cash [0].

Too many people think "lock them up" is the solution to crime, without considering that crime relies on certain types of infrastructure to remain in business. And that people who are "tough on crime" often have good reasons to keep operational the things that facilitate said crimes.

[0] https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0057

replies(2): >>43571171 #>>43571999 #
1. NelsonMinar ◴[03 Apr 25 16:23 UTC] No.43571999[source]▶
North Korea launders its stolen cryptocurrency through every available means. Including Tornado Cash, quite aggressively, which is why they were sanctioned. It is very hard to understand why the Trump administration would reverse those sanctions unless they are trying to aid this kind of money laundering.
replies(1): >>43573571 #
2. mhluongo ◴[03 Apr 25 18:31 UTC] No.43573571[source]▶
Because code had never been sanctioned before, and it's a clear freedom of speech issue?
replies(1): >>43580074 #
3. johnnyanmac ◴[04 Apr 25 09:53 UTC] No.43580074[source]▶
The current actions very much suggest otherwise that this administration cares about the first amendment.