Ethereum price has also seen a correction, but still demonstrates strong performance on longer timeframes. Several analysts are still optimistic about ETH’s future and indicate that the recent drop could provide a buying opportunity prior to a possible rise to $4,000. Analysts are bullish on the Ethereum price Despite the recent market correction, leading crypto analysts like Michaël van de Poppe have optimistic expectations for the Ethereum price. Price targets also suggest a potential rally to $4,000. The ETH price performance is still positive, with 57.2% returns in the past month. $ETH goes towards the ‘buy the dip’ range. Sub $2,400 is the area where you’d want to accumulate before the next run towards $4,000. pic.twitter.com/y56cKttUHY — Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) May 19, 2025 Analyst Michaël van de Poppe noted what he calls a “buy the dip” region. He indicated that prices below $2,400 provide an accumulation opportunity “before… Read More at Coingape.com
Kraken, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange, has uncovered a sophisticated infiltration attempt by a North Korean hacker posing as a job candidate.
The security and recruitment teams advanced the candidate through the hiring process. The aim was to study their strategies and gather crucial insights.
How a North Korean Hacker Tried to Infiltrate Kraken
Kraken detailed the incident in a recent blog post on May 1. The hacker applied for an engineering role at the exchange, initially appearing as a legitimate candidate, allegedly named Steven Smith. However, several red flags emerged during the hiring process.
“What started as a routine hiring process for an engineering role quickly turned into an intelligence gathering operation, as our teams carefully advanced the candidate through our hiring process to learn more about their tactics at every stage of the process,” Kraken noted.
Moreover, the Open-Source Intelligence gathering (OSINT) investigation uncovered the candidate’s involvement in a network of fake identities.
“This meant that our team had uncovered a hacking operation where one individual had established multiple identities to apply for roles in the crypto space and beyond. Several of the names had previously been hired by multiple companies, as our team identified work-related email addresses linked to them. One identity in this network was also a known foreign agent on the sanctions list,” the blog read.
Additionally, technical inconsistencies in their setup, like using remote, colocated Mac desktops accessed via a VPN and altered IDs, pointed to an infiltration attempt. This information confirmed that the candidate was likely a state-sponsored hacker.
In a final interview with the candidate, Kraken’s Chief Security Officer, Nick Percoco, and some team members confirmed the company’s suspicions. The candidate’s failure to verify their location or answer questions about their city and citizenship revealed them as an impostor.
“Their job is to start employment to steal intellectual property, steal money from those companies, take home a paycheck, and do it in a widespread way,” Percoco told CBS about the hackers.
FinCEN Proposes Ban on Huione Group Over North Korean Ties
Meanwhile, in another development, the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has proposed banning Cambodia-based Huione Group from the US financial system. The department identified Huione as a key facilitator for North Korean hacker groups, including those involved in cyber heists and “pig butchering” cryptocurrency scams.
“Huione Group has established itself as the marketplace of choice for malicious cyber actors like the DPRK and criminal syndicates, who have stolen billions of dollars from everyday Americans,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said.
FinCEN accused the group of laundering over $4 billion in illicit funds between August 2021 and January 2025. According to the department, Huione’s network, including Huione Pay, Huione Crypto, and Haowang Guarantee, is a preferred marketplace for cryptocurrency criminals, offering services such as payment processing and an illicit online marketplace.
“Today’s proposed action will sever Huione Group’s access to correspondent banking, degrading these groups’ ability to launder their ill-gotten gains. Treasury remains committed to disrupting any attempt by malicious cyber actors to secure revenue from or for their criminal schemes,” Bessent added.
These incidents highlighted a pattern of North Korean cyberattacks on the cryptocurrency sector. In 2024, hackers stole over $659 million from crypto firms.
According to a joint statement from the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, North Korean hackers targeted the industry using tactics like social engineering and malware (e.g., TraderTraitor, AppleJeus). Additionally, North Korean IT workers were identified as insider threats to private sector companies.
In fact, recently, on-chain investigator ZachXBT uncovered significant North Korean involvement in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, with some of them relying on nearly 100% of their monthly volume/fees from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
World:- Sam Altman and Tools of Humanity owned World project is leading a massive global expansion campaign. Recently, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has confirmed the plans that his platform is exploring the use of Sam Altman’s World iris‑scanning “Orb” devices to help verify real human users while preserving anonymity. Now, in another bid towards expanding its
Voxies (VOXEL), a little-known gaming token, surged by over 200% within 24 hours on April 20 following a suspected malfunction in Bitget’s trading system.
The unexpected glitch led to an explosive spike in activity, pushing the VOXEL/USDT contract’s trading volume to an eye-watering $12.7 billion. According to Coingecko data, this significantly outpaces Bitcoin’s $4.76 billion volume on the same platform.
The unprecedented spike drew attention across the crypto space, particularly given that VOXEL is a relatively obscure free-to-play blockchain game token with a market cap under $30 million.
According to on-chain analyst Dylan, the Bitget bot repeatedly executed trades within the narrow $0.125 to $0.138 price range. Savvy traders quickly caught on, using just $100 to scalp profits exceeding six figures.
Reports suggest that the glitch allowed some users to walk away with tens or even hundreds of thousands of USDT in a matter of hours.
In response, Bitget’s spokesperson Xie Jiayin confirmed the platform was aware of the irregular activity and has launched an internal investigation. The company also noted that affected accounts may face temporary restrictions, urging users to contact in-app support for further assistance.
“Every platform, at every stage of development, may encounter challenges and uncertainties, yet these are an inevitable part of the journey. Bitget will provide the event details and resolution within 24 hours,” Jiayin added.
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked criticism from market experts and traders, many of whom question Bitget’s internal safeguards and technical maturity.
Several community members have criticized Bitget’s response to the issue. Some have claimed that the exchange’s decision to forcibly settle VOXEL contracts at discounted rates breached user trust. Bitget’s hybrid custody model is also receiving backlash following the incident.
“The platform’s product design reveals concerning flaws: a hybrid custody risk pool exposes users to systemic risks, and unrestricted position sizes open the door to manipulation. If these issues are not addressed, more altcoins could be weaponized against Bitget—potentially making it the next catastrophic failure in the crypto space,” one analyst stated.
