coindesk.com
Crypto analytics firm Chainalysis announced Thursday it helped the U.S. government recover about $30 million stolen from Axie Infinity earlier this year.
In a blog post, Chainalysis' Erin Plante said law enforcement officials were able to recover the funds, which were stolen by Lazarus Group, a North Korean hacking entity tied to multiple crypto thefts over recent years.
"With the help of law enforcement and leading organizations in the cryptocurrency industry, more than $30 million worth of cryptocurrency stolen by North Korean-linked hackers has been seized. This marks the first time ever that cryptocurrency stolen by a North Korean hacking group has been seized, and we’re confident it won’t be the last," Plante said.
Hackers stole over $600 million from Axie this past spring, laundering many of the proceeds through privacy mixer Tornado Cash. The U.S. Treasury Department later sanctioned Tornado Cash for facilitating money laundering.