The Ethereum Foundation has announced the successful conclusion of its six-month ETH Rangers Program, which has exposed around 100 IT workers linked to North Korea operating within 53 cryptocurrency projects. This initiative, developed with blockchain security groups, aims to counter the escalating threat posed by North Korean cyber activities, which resulted in an estimated $2 billion in crypto theft in 2025.
The program also led to the identification of hundreds of vulnerabilities and prompted dozens of incident responses. Research indicates North Korea dispatches thousands of IT workers globally, with many infiltrated into crypto firms to facilitate illicit gains. The Ketman Project, in collaboration with the Security Alliance (SEAL), played a key role in developing a framework to identify these operatives.
Separately, two U.S. nationals involved in helping North Korean IT workers gain access to American companies have received multi-year prison sentences, totaling at least seven years each. They pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracy, having received $700,000 for their roles in funneling millions from victimized companies.