The decentralized exchange aggregator of OKX has been temporarily suspended because of a suspected strike by the Lazarus Group. Bubblemaps Increases Over 40% Amid Conjecture About Binance Listing
On March 17, OKX declared that they were stopping services because of safety anxieties. They required fixing some incomplete labeling on their blockchain explorer. The official declaration stated that this break would permit them to implement new safety procedures to prevent further abuse.
OKX noted that they have noticed increased strikes from rivals attempting to disrupt their work, in addition to the Lazarus Group targeting their DeFi services. They also consulted with regulators before taking this step.
While the decentralized exchange aggregator is offline, the wallet service is still available, though new wallet creation is temporarily restricted in certain markets. OKX has been busy reinforcing safety, including real-time tracking to block malicious addresses on their centralized exchange and a hack address detection system for their Web3 decentralized exchange aggregator.
They are also working with blockchain explorers to ensure that the actual decentralized exchanges handling transactions are correctly identified, rather than their aggregator.
OKX emphasized that their Web3 service is just an aggregator, not a custodian of user assets. They are actively working to enhance safety by identifying and blocking hacker addresses in real-time.
The Lazarus Group has been linked to numerous cyberattacks on crypto platforms, including the recent $1.5 billion Bybit hack on February 21. They have also been deploying malicious software packages on the Node Package Manager platform to steal credentials and wallet data.
Cybercriminals are becoming more cunning, resorting to deceptive tactics like bogus video conferences on Zoom to deceive cryptocurrency developers into installing malicious software. According to Chainalysis, North Korean cyber thieves have been quite successful in 2024, pilfering in excess of $1.3 billion worth of digital currency through 47 separate breaches. This figure is more than twice the amount they managed to seize during the previous year. Experts Indicate Bitcoin Achieving $100,000 May Initiate Earnings Collection
