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Bybit wins injunction to freeze identified Lazarus-linked crypto
The preliminary order comes about 17 months after the February 2025 hack, with earlier industry action freezing $42.9 million and recovering another 15,000 cmETH worth nearly $43 million.
Bybit has obtained a preliminary injunction in the US District Court for the District of Columbia aimed at blocking unnamed defendants from moving or selling identified stolen crypto tied to North Korea and the Lazarus Group, according to CryptoSlate.
Public court reporting described the order as covering specific assets without confirming the full $1.5 billion stolen in February 2025, and without stating the dollar value the injunction is intended to protect. The case follows the roughly 17 month gap since the hack.
CryptoSlate also cited Chainalysis data showing a consistent laundering pattern by DPRK-linked groups after the major theft, moving funds through exchanges, bridges, mixers, and other laundering services over about 45 days. Coordinated action by industry partners in the early days froze $42.9 million, and mETH Protocol recovered 15,000 cmETH worth nearly $43 million, bringing early saved amounts to about $85.9 million, or roughly 5.9% of the $1.46 billion stolen.
Elliptic, via a six month review from zeroShadow, said more than $1 billion of the stolen funds had already moved through the laundering pipeline before the new court order existed. CryptoSlate further notes that stolen crypto often becomes stoppable only after it lands somewhere subject to court reach, such as an exchange, stablecoin issuer, or custodian, while native BTC and ETH in self custody are described as nearly impossible to freeze directly.
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