ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, German Bitcoin mining company and data center operator Northern Data AG is considering selling its cryptocurrency mining business to free up funds for expanding its artificial intelligence business.The Frankfurt-listed company, whose main shareholder is stablecoin issuer Tether Holdings Ltd., stated in a press release on Monday that it will use the proceeds from the sale of Peak Mining to focus on its artificial intelligence solutions division. Following the news, Northern Data's stock price surged by 12% at one point, and as of 12:06 PM Frankfurt time, it had risen by 9.8%.

ChainCatcher message, Cosmos ecosystem software development company All in Bits stated that it has discovered serious security issues with the Liquidity Staking Module (LSM) of Cosmos Hub, including that most of the LSM code was written by North Korean agents; LSM is not an independent module but a set of modifications to the existing staking, allocation, and slashing modules, which may affect all staked ATOM; vulnerabilities that allow slashing evasion still exist; 19 months of code changes have not been audited; significant misrepresentation by Zaki Manian and Iqlusion; lack of transparency from ICF, Stride Labs, and informal systems.All in Bits recommends immediate fixes for the major staking vulnerabilities in LSM; an immediate and comprehensive audit of LSM; full disclosure of the investigation timeline involving North Korean agents; blacklisting of ICF stakeholders; new audit and oversight agreements for ICF-funded projects.

According to ChainCatcher, as reported by Cointelegraph, the U.S. government filed two legal lawsuits on October 4, beginning the process of seizing over $2.67 million in digital assets stolen by the North Korean hacker group Lazarus Group.According to legal documents, the U.S. government is seeking to recover approximately $1.7 million in USDT that the group stole during the Deribit hack in 2022, where $28 million was taken from the options exchange. After successfully hacking Deribit's hot wallet, the hackers mixed the funds through the Tornado Cash mixer and multiple Ethereum addresses.U.S. law enforcement officials are also seeking to recover approximately $970,000 in Avalanche-bridged Bitcoin (BTC.b), which was stolen by the Lazarus Group during a hack of the Stake.com gambling platform in 2023. This malicious attack resulted in losses of over $41 million for Stake.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, a dozen cryptocurrency companies unknowingly employed IT workers from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including established blockchain projects such as Injective, ZeroLend, Fantom, Sushi, Yearn Finance, and Cosmos Hub. These workers used fake IDs, successfully passed interviews, cleared background checks, and provided real work experience.In the United States and other countries that sanction North Korea, hiring North Korean workers is illegal, and multiple companies that employed North Korean IT staff subsequently suffered hacking attacks. Noted blockchain developer Zaki Manian stated, "Everyone is trying to filter these people out." He inadvertently hired two North Korean IT workers to help develop the Cosmos Hub blockchain in 2021.U.S. authorities have recently intensified warnings that North Korean IT workers are infiltrating tech companies and using the proceeds to fund nuclear weapons programs. An investigation revealed that North Korean job seekers are particularly aggressive and frequent in targeting cryptocurrency companies—successfully passing interviews, clearing background checks, and even showcasing impressive code contribution histories on the open-source software repository GitHub.

ChainCatcher news, according to Ledger Insights, Northern Trust shared the results of a recent poll conducted in London with 100 investment professionals, where 34% have already invested in digital assets or plan to do so soon.The Northern Trust survey found that two-thirds believe private assets will benefit the most. The next most promising groups are commodities and real estate (53%), followed by money market funds (36%).Northern Trust's new Chief Operating Officer Pete Cherecwich stated, "These findings highlight the duality of opportunity and challenge as our clients meet their data needs through the convergence of emerging digital assets and advanced technologies."

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, cybersecurity experts warn that the notorious North Korean hacking group "Lazarus Group" may target the U.S. Bitcoin ETF as a new attack vector. Michael Pearl, Vice President of GTM Strategy at Cyvers, stated that hackers might turn their attention to the U.S. Bitcoin ETF due to the potential for massive returns.According to Dune data, U.S. ETFs currently hold Bitcoin worth $52.1 billion, making it an enticing target for hackers. Pearl warned that not only ETF providers could become targets, but all companies associated with them would also face risks, making ETF vulnerabilities a pressing issue that needs to be addressed quickly, or else a "super hacker" incident could occur.

ChainCatcher news, the North Carolina legislature has passed a bill prohibiting the state from participating in Federal Reserve Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) testing. The Senate overturned Governor Cooper's veto with a vote of 27 in favor and 17 against, passing House Bill 690. The bill prohibits the use of CBDC for payments to the state government and bans the state government from participating in CBDC testing.Cooper previously stated that the bill was "premature and an overreaction." The Blockchain Association's Director of Industry Affairs, Spuler, indicated that Cooper missed the opportunity to signal North Carolina's opposition to CBDC to the Federal Reserve System.It is worth noting that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act" this May, aimed at preventing the Federal Reserve from issuing CBDC to individuals. Federal Reserve Chairman Powell has stated that the Federal Reserve will not issue CBDC without congressional approval.

ChainCatcher news, the North Carolina legislature has passed a bill that prohibits the state from implementing the central bank digital currency (CBDC) issued by the U.S. Federal Reserve, with the Senate overriding Governor Roy Cooper's veto. The bill prohibits North Carolina from accepting CBDC as a form of payment and forbids its participation in "any future CBDC testing conducted by any Federal Reserve branch."On September 9, the Republican-led Senate passed the bill with a vote of 27 to 17, slightly above the 60% majority needed to override Democrat Cooper's veto, allowing House Bill 690 to pass. Previously, the North Carolina House of Representatives had overridden Cooper's veto with a vote of 73 to 41 in early August.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has indicated that North Korean cybercriminals are "actively targeting" employees in the Web3 industry to steal cryptocurrency funds.In a press release issued on Tuesday, the FBI noted that North Korean criminals have deployed sophisticated social engineering strategies to deceive individuals at cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi) companies, thereby "compromising networks associated with cryptocurrency assets." Such schemes pose a "persistent threat" to entities holding significant amounts of cryptocurrency or related products.The FBI further stated: "In recent months, North Korean malicious cyber actors have researched various targets related to cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This research includes preparatory work before actions, indicating that North Korean attackers may conduct malicious cyber activities targeting companies associated with cryptocurrency ETFs or other cryptocurrency-related financial products."In addition to researching potential targets, North Korean cybercriminals also impersonate well-known members within companies or fabricate false scenarios (tailored to the victim's background, skills, or business interests) to gain and exploit their trust.

ChainCatcher message, Microsoft cybersecurity researchers have discovered a zero-day vulnerability in the Chromium engine, which powers browsers like Chrome. This vulnerability has been exploited by a North Korean hacker group known as Citrine Sleet, specifically targeting cryptocurrency users. Citrine Sleet has used a rootkit malware called FudModule to create fake cryptocurrency trading platform websites, luring users into downloading malware or weaponized cryptocurrency wallets, thereby gaining remote code execution access to steal the victims' crypto assets. This vulnerability was patched on August 21, and users are urged to update their browsers as soon as possible to ensure safety. This is the third exploited Chromium zero-day vulnerability this year.

ChainCatcher News: The U.S. State Department stated that during the attendance of Special Envoy for North Korea, Seth Bailey, at the "Preventing North Korean Virtual Asset Money Laundering U.S.-Korea Joint Civilian Seminar," the theft of virtual currency is a relatively new source of income for North Korea. It is estimated that over 40% of the funding for North Korea's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile development programs is raised through virtual currency channels.Bailey cited a report from blockchain research firm TRM Labs, which indicated that last year, about one-third of global virtual asset thefts were carried out by North Korean hackers, and this year's theft amount is expected to increase further.Bailey emphasized, "We are working closely with like-minded countries such as South Korea and Japan to develop government policies and procedures that will have a direct impact on North Korean behavior."

ChainCatcher news, ZachXBT stated on platform X that during the investigation of a $1.3 million theft from a team's treasury, it was discovered that the team had hired several North Korean IT personnel using false identities as developers. These North Korean developers stole $1.3 million and completed the money laundering through a series of transactions.Further analysis of the transaction process revealed that these North Korean developers using false identities were organized. It can be inferred that a "single entity in Asia" employed at least 21 North Korean IT personnel, who participated in the development of over 25 cryptocurrency projects using false identities, earning between $300,000 and $500,000 per month.Some of the transactions were also linked to Sim Hyon Sop, who has been sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for allegedly coordinating financial transfers.

ChainCatcher news, according to the Liaoshen Evening News, with the cooperation of police in Shenyang and Changchun, a telecom fraud case was solved in just 7 hours, and the suspect Yu was captured.It is understood that the suspect met Ms. Lü (pseudonym) online in early July and established a romantic relationship. Subsequently, the man claimed to be engaged in virtual currency investment and repeatedly persuaded Ms. Lü to participate. After the other party shared screenshots of high returns, on July 22, Ms. Lü withdrew 500,000 yuan in cash from the bank as requested and handed it over to the "investment manager" found by the man. However, not only did the "virtual currency" fail to arrive, but the man also suddenly went offline. Ms. Lü immediately reported to the police, and the Dannan Police Station of the Shenyang Shenhui Public Security Bureau quickly took action, identifying the "investment manager" Wang. That evening around 10 PM, police captured the suspect Wang near Shenyang North Station, but he only had 20,000 yuan in cash on him. It turned out that "investment manager" Wang was a helper hired by Yu. After successfully committing the crime, Yu gave 20,000 yuan to Wang as a reward. Yu then fled to Changchun with 480,000 yuan in illicit gains. Shenyang police quickly contacted Changchun police to apprehend Yu. Changchun police immediately set up surveillance and captured Yu at around 1 AM the next day while he was counting money at home, seizing 480,000 yuan in stolen funds on the spot.Currently, suspects Yu and Wang have been criminally detained by the public security authorities for suspected fraud, and the 500,000 yuan in cash that Ms. Lü was defrauded of has been fully returned.

ChainCatcher news, Hezbollah announced that it used multiple drones to attack the IDF's 91st Division headquarters located in Ayelet HaShahar in the early hours of the day.Hezbollah stated that this attack was in response to the IDF's assassinations and attacks in several locations in southern Lebanon.

ChainCatcher news, according to DL News, the U.S. State Department is offering a reward of $10 million for information leading to the location of North Korean hacker Rim Jong Hyok. He has been involved in plotting hacking attacks and extorting hospitals, laundering ransom proceeds, and using them to fund computer intrusions against global defense, technology, and government entities. Court documents show that Rim Jong Hyok and his associates work for the North Korean Reconnaissance General Bureau, known in the private sector as "Andariel," "Onyx Sleet," and "APT45."

ChainCatcher news, blockchain analysis provider Elliptic stated that a hacker group linked to North Korea may be behind the "$235 million WAZIRX hack incident."

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, German Bitcoin mining company and data center operator Northern Data AG has announced a capital increase plan. With the approval of the supervisory board, the company will issue 10.7 million new shares, accounting for 20% of its existing share capital. These shares will be sold at a price of 20 euros per share, slightly above the market average price.This move is expected to generate 214 million euros in revenue, which will be invested in NVIDIA GPUs and infrastructure to support generative artificial intelligence (AI) innovations. The company's goal is to enhance its cloud platform and expand its data centers in Europe and the United States.The capital increase will be carried out in two steps to ensure the participation of major shareholders. Initially, Tether Investments Ltd. and an entity owned by CEO Aroosh Thillainathan will subscribe for shares proportional to their current holdings. The remaining shares will be distributed proportionally to other major shareholders.

ChainCatcher news, according to DLNews, a United Nations report states that North Korean hackers are infiltrating the cryptocurrency industry by impersonating job seekers. These fraudulent recruitment schemes have reportedly earned North Korea up to $600 million annually, with around 4,000 North Koreans attempting to enter the Western tech industry, including the cryptocurrency sector, by concealing their identities. Over the past seven years, North Korean hackers have stolen $3 billion worth of cryptocurrency assets through 58 cyber theft cases. Experts warn that this trend may just be beginning, posing new security challenges for the cryptocurrency industry.MetaMask Chief Security Researcher Taylor Monahan pointed out that North Korea generates revenue through the illegal sale of resources, IT jobs, manual labor, and hacking activities. With the launch of Bitcoin ETFs, Wall Street has begun to view cryptocurrencies as an asset class, leading to a surge in recruitment demand within the cryptocurrency industry. However, the influx of fraudulent job seekers has made hiring increasingly difficult.