Bitget Annual Trading Competition KCGI Launches With $6 Million Prize Pool

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.

The candidate used a different name during the interview and kept switching voices, suggesting coaching. They applied using an email linked to North Korean hackers. 

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.

Previously, BeInCrypto reports have highlighted the notorious Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored hacking collective’s involvement in Bybit and Upbit thefts. Moreover, hacker groups from the country were also behind the Radiant Capital hack and the DMM Bitcoin exploit.

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).

The post Kraken Exposes North Korean Hacker Posing as Job Candidate in Bold Infiltration Attempt appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Cardano (ADA) has been trading below the $0.70 mark since March 29, struggling to regain bullish momentum. Despite brief signs of strength, recent indicators now point to weakening trend conditions.

Both the BBTrend and ADX show fading buying pressure, while EMA alignment remains bearish. With price stuck between key support and resistance levels, ADA’s next move could define its short-term direction.

Cardano BBTrend Turns Negative, Signaling Momentum Reversal

Cardano’s BBTrend has flipped negative, currently sitting at -0.78 after spending the last five days in positive territory. The indicator reached a peak of 9.76 on April 14, signaling strong bullish momentum at the time.

BBTrend, short for Bollinger Band Trend, measures the strength and direction of a price move relative to its Bollinger Bands.

Positive values typically indicate bullish trends, while negative values point to bearish conditions or weakening momentum.

The shift to -0.78 suggests that Cardano’s recent uptrend has lost strength and may be reversing. A negative BBTrend reading means the price is now moving closer to the lower band, often a sign of rising selling pressure.

While it doesn’t confirm a strong downtrend yet, this reversal could indicate the beginning of a broader consolidation or bearish phase unless momentum quickly recovers.

Traders may want to watch closely for follow-through or a bounce to assess ADA’s short-term direction.

Cardano Momentum Fades as ADX Crashes and Selling Pressure Rises

Cardano’s DMI chart shows a sharp drop in trend strength, with its ADX falling to 15.12 from 28.34 just two days ago.

The ADX (Average Directional Index) measures trend intensity—readings above 25 suggest a strong trend, while values below 20 indicate a weak or consolidating market.

The steep decline in the ADX signals that the momentum behind Cardano’s recent move is quickly fading.

At the same time, the +DI (bullish directional indicator) has dropped from 22.61 to 17.39, showing weakening buying pressure. Meanwhile, the -DI (bearish indicator) has risen from 10.5 to 14.95, pointing to a gradual increase in selling strength.

With both the ADX and +DI falling, and -DI climbing, the setup hints at a potential shift in favor of the bears.

Unless bullish momentum returns quickly, Cardano could enter a period of sideways movement or even a short-term downtrend.

Bearish Structure Still Dominates Cardano

Cardano’s EMA lines remain bearish, with short-term averages still positioned below the long-term ones—indicating that downward momentum is intact.

Cardano price is holding above a key support zone near $0.594, but if this level fails, it could trigger a deeper drop toward $0.511. This would confirm a continuation of the downtrend and reflect growing selling pressure.

However, if ADA manages to reverse its current momentum, the first major resistance lies at $0.64. A breakout above that level could open the door to further gains, with potential targets at $0.66 and $0.70.

If the uptrend strengthens, ADA could even rally toward $0.77, marking a more decisive recovery and trend shift.

The post Cardano (ADA) Might Turn Bearish As Price Struggles to Breach $0.70 appeared first on BeInCrypto.

The co-founders of President Trump-backed World Liberty Financial (WLFI)—Zach Witkoff, Zak Folkman, and Chase Herro—met with Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) in Abu Dhabi.

Their conversation centered on developing strategic initiatives to standardize and expand the cryptocurrency industry worldwide.

What Did WLFI Co-Founders and CZ Discuss in Abu Dhabi?  

WLFI highlighted the meeting in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The organization stressed that the move marked the start of a broader initiative to drive innovation in the industry. The meeting agenda centered on strategies to accelerate the global adoption of cryptocurrencies. 

It also covered the creation of new industry standards. Finally, the participants discussed initiatives to push the crypto sector into its next phase of growth and development.

“The future belongs to the builders, not the bystanders. We’re just getting started,” Witkoff stated.

In a separate post on X, CZ highlighted that he also met with Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), alongside Witkoff. Notably, the meeting comes shortly after WLFI and PCC’s latest collaboration. 

BeInCrypto was the first to report that the DeFi project signed a letter of intent with the council to enhance blockchain development, stablecoin adoption, and DeFi growth in the country. Previously, in early April, CZ had joined PCC as a strategic advisor.

“Our goal is to work alongside industry leaders and showcase Pakistan as a global case study in how emerging markets can harness blockchain to create transformative opportunities,” Saqib said.

Zhao also expressed optimism about the meeting. However, he cautioned that traditional media might frame the event negatively. 

“I have a feeling the trad media will try to make up some negative story about this. But we keep building,” CZ wrote.

This statement aligns with his recent disputes with mainstream outlets like Bloomberg. CZ criticized Bloomberg’s coverage of his advisory roles with governments like Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Malaysia on crypto policy. 

Zhao argued that Bloomberg negatively framed his efforts by emphasizing his past legal issues rather than focusing on his current work.

Meanwhile, the criticism isn’t limited to CZ. World Liberty Financial has also been the center of substantial scrutiny, given its ties to the President. US senators have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. In fact, previous reports emerged about the Trump family possibly acquiring a stake in Binance—claims that CZ strongly refuted.

Despite external scrutiny, the high-profile meeting affirms the involved parties’ commitment to building a more solid and collaborative future for the cryptocurrency sector.

The post World Liberty Financial Co-Founders Meet Binance’s CZ to Discuss Global Crypto Expansion appeared first on BeInCrypto.