Cybercriminals are turning to cross-chain bridges to maneuver illicit funds, in line with market intelligence platform Chainalysis.
Cross-chain bridges allow customers to switch crypto property from one blockchain to a different.
In a brand new report, Chainalysis says the quantity of crypto that bridge protocols acquired from illicit addresses elevated from simply $312.2 million in 2022 to $743.8 million in 2023, representing a year-on-year improve of 138%.
“Illicit actors’ use of bridge protocols for cash laundering functions grew considerably in 2023, notably amongst crypto thieves.”
Chainalysis says cash laundering ways are altering, citing that whereas a giant share of crypto laundering actions nonetheless contain sending the stolen property to exchanges, probably the most refined criminals at the moment are utilizing different platforms corresponding to bridges and mixers.
The report says that the North Korea-sponsored gang of cybercriminals often called the Lazarus Group are among the many unhealthy actors that use bridges to maneuver illicit funds.
“Crypto criminals with extra refined on-chain laundering ability units —such because the infamous North Korean cybercriminals related to hacking gangs like Lazarus Group — are likely to make the most of a higher number of crypto providers and protocols.
North Korea-affiliated hackers have been amongst these to make the most of bridges for cash laundering probably the most.”
In 2022, the Lazarus Group stole $100 million in cryptocurrency from Horizon, the cross-chain bridge of Ethereum rival Concord (ONE). Chainalysis particulars how the gang laundered the funds.
“Funds related to the 2022 Concord hack moved to a preferred bridge protocol in Could 2023, the place they had been moved from the Bitcoin blockchain to the Avalanche blockchain. The funds had been then swapped for a stablecoin, after which bridged once more utilizing a special protocol, this time from the Avalanche blockchain to the TRON blockchain.”
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