Over $16.58 million has been funneled to North Korean IT workers so far in 2025
These workers pose as freelancers to get jobs at hundreds of crypto and tech startups
They bypass security checks and route crypto payments to sanctioned DPRK-linked addresses
A growing national security concern is unfolding quietly across the global tech and crypto industries. According to data from the on-chain sleuth ZachXBT, over $16.58 million has been funneled to North Korean IT workers since the start of 2025 alone, a figure that amounts to roughly $2.76 million per month.
These developers pose as legitimate freelancers but are secretly tied to the DPRK regime. Using simple tactics and social engineering, they’ve breached technical teams, secured sensitive roles, and routed crypto payments into addresses linked to sanctioned actors.
1/ My recent investigation uncovered more than $16.58M in payments since January 1, 2025 or $2.76M per month has been sent to North Korean IT workers hired as developers at various projects & companies.
To put this in perspective payments range from $3K-8K per month meaning… pic.twitter.com/pjHZG9wJ4r
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) July 2, 2025
…
The post North Korean IT Workers Infiltrate Tech and Crypto Projects, Pocket Over $16 Million appeared first on Coin Edition.
