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NORTH KOREAN HACKERS STEAL $290M FROM KELPDAO

SECURITY DESK1 MIN READ
TUE, APR 21, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 1 SOURCE BELOW

State-sponsored North Korean hackers linked to the Lazarus group executed a $290 million heist against KelpDAO, a decentralized finance project, on Saturday.

The attack marks another significant breach in the DeFi sector, which has repeatedly faced security vulnerabilities. Lazarus, attributed to North Korea's government, has conducted multiple high-profile cryptocurrency thefts over the past years, targeting exchanges and blockchain protocols to fund state operations. KelpDAO provides liquid staking services on the Ethereum network. The breach compromised the platform's security infrastructure, allowing attackers to extract substantial cryptocurrency holdings. The incident follows a pattern of escalating crypto-related attacks targeting DeFi platforms and exchanges. Security firms are investigating the breach to determine the exact attack vector and whether additional vulnerabilities exist in similar protocols. KelpDAO has not yet released a detailed incident report. The stolen funds typically flow through mixing services and decentralized exchanges to obscure their origin, complicating recovery efforts. Authorities continue tracking the movement of assets across blockchain networks.

■ SOURCES

Bleeping Computer

■ SUMMARY WRITTEN BY AI FROM THE LINKS ABOVE

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12H AGOIndustry Desk

North Korean hackers are blamed for stealing $290 million from Kelp DAO, marking the largest cryptocurrency theft of 2024. The attack exploited vulnerabilities in the decentralized finance platform.

14H AGOSecurity Desk

Hackers exploited a vulnerability in a cross-chain bridge Saturday, stealing nearly $300 million from decentralized finance infrastructure. The breach triggered cascading effects across multiple crypto platforms.

YESTERDAYSecurity Desk

An attacker drained approximately $292 million worth of rsETH tokens from Kelp DAO's LayerZero-powered cross-chain bridge on Saturday. Kelp paused all rsETH contracts following the breach.

APR 19AI Desk

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