G7 to confront North Korea’s billion-dollar crypto heists at Canada summit

By: cryptopolitan|2025/05/08 05:15:01
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Leaders of the G7 are preparing to address North Korea’s escalating cyberattacks and cryptocurrency thefts at their upcoming summit in Alberta, Canada, scheduled for mid-June.This move comes amid growing global concerns over Pyongyang’s use of cybercrime to fund its weapons programs.While talks are expected to be dominated by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, North Korea’s cyber activities are likely to loom large on the agenda.According to sources briefed on the matter, the leaders are planning to discuss a coordinated response to Pyongyang’s increasing cyber threat. That could involve strengthening international cybersecurity frameworks, blocking digital assets associated with North Korea, and cutting off crypto platforms that launder money with harsher penalties.The G7 wants to signal that the world community will no longer accept such cyber aggression. Canada will seek firmer alliances and intelligence-sharing agreements as the host country to combat cyber-enabled crimes.G7 leaders sound alarm over North Korea’s cyber heistsNorth Korea is back on the international stage. This time, it’s not missile launches but something more stealthy — billion-dollar cyberattacks.In February 2025, cybercriminals with ties to North Korea stole around $1.5 billion from Bybit, a large digital currency exchange in Dubai. The F.B.I. said the hackers were part of the notorious Lazarus Group, a state-sponsored hacking organization believed responsible for the 2014 SONY attack. The group quickly converted the extorted funds to Bitcoin and scattered them to thousands of blockchain wallets to launder the money.This was not a one-off event. North Korean-linked hackers were behind 47 major attacks during 2024, stealing a total of $1.34 billion in cryptocurrency, up from $661 million in 2023, according to data from the blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.However, experts said the cash is not going into private pockets but instead being used to finance the regime’s sanctioned weapons programs. North Korea even uses digital money to get around international sanctions, allowing it to keep building nuclear and missile technology.These thefts have grown in size and complexity and have alarmed world powers. North Korea is now a major player in cybercrime.North Korean operatives infiltrate global tech jobs to fund weapons programs secretlyNorth Korea’s cyber offensive does not stop at hacking. The country has built another quieter weapon — its global IT workforce.Thousands of tech-savvy North Koreans are reportedly working remotely from countries like China and Russia, posing as freelance software developers. Using false identities, they apply for jobs and secure well-paying positions, earning thousands of dollars. These earnings are then funneled back to support the North Korean regime, according to reports.In a recent case earlier this year, crypto exchange Kraken discovered a sophisticated one-man operation in which a North Korean operative had applied to a software engineering role under multiple false personas. This person had weaved a complex web of false resumes and online profiles to insinuate themselves into tech companies worldwide.The U.S. Department of Justice said these IT workers use advanced techniques to conceal their identities. They depend on pseudonymous email accounts, sham websites, proxy servers, and even unwitting cutouts in the United States and elsewhere.In a statement released in January, the Justice Department said that these workers can earn up to $300,000 a year. When their numbers reach the tens of thousands, the income becomes a significant revenue stream for North Korea. It added that the proceeds typically go directly to the country’s Ministry of Defense and other entities involved in weapons programs.In retaliation, the U.S. and its allies have tightened hiring practices around tech and crypto industries, encouraging companies to perform more thorough verification checks to identify remote workers.Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More

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Sun Valley Releases 2025 Financial Report: Bitcoin Mining Revenue Reaches $670 Million, Accelerating Transformation to AI Infrastructure Platform


On March 16, 2026, in Dallas, Texas, USA, CanGu Company (New York Stock Exchange code: CANG, hereinafter referred to as "CanGu" or the "Company") today announced its unaudited financial performance for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2025. As a btc-42">bitcoin mining enterprise relying on a globally operated layout and dedicated to building an integrated energy and AI computing power platform, CanGu is actively advancing its business transformation and infrastructure development.


2025 Full Year and Fourth Quarter Financial and Operational Highlights


• Financial Performance:

Total revenue for the full year 2025 was $688.1 million, with $179.5 million in the fourth quarter.

Bitcoin mining business revenue for the full year was $675.5 million, with $172.4 million in the fourth quarter.

Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $24.5 million, while the fourth quarter was -$156.3 million.


• Mining Operations and Costs:

A total of 6,594.6 bitcoins were mined throughout the year, averaging 18.07 bitcoins per day; of which 1,718.3 bitcoins were mined in the fourth quarter, averaging 18.68 bitcoins per day.

The average mining cost for the full year (excluding miner depreciation) was $79,707 per bitcoin, and for the fourth quarter, it was $84,552;

The all-in sustaining costs were $97,272 and $106,251 per bitcoin, respectively.

As of the end of December 2025, the company has cumulatively produced 7,528.4 bitcoins since entering the bitcoin mining business.


• Strategic Progress:

The company has completed the termination of the American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program and transitioned to a direct listing on the NYSE to enhance information transparency and align with its strategic direction, with a long-term goal of expanding its investor base.


CEO Paul Yu stated: "2025 marked the company's first full year as a bitcoin mining enterprise, characterized by rapid execution and structural reshaping. We completed a comprehensive adjustment of our asset system and established a globally distributed mining network. Additionally, the company introduced a new management team, further strengthening our capabilities and competitive advantage in the digital asset and energy infrastructure space. The completion of the NYSE direct listing and USD pricing also signifies our transformation into a global AI infrastructure company."


"As we enter 2026, the company will continue to optimize its balance sheet structure and enhance operational efficiency and cost resilience through adjustments to the miner portfolio. At the same time, we are advancing our strategic transformation into an AI infrastructure provider. Leveraging EcoHash, we will utilize our capabilities in scalable computing power and energy networks to provide cost-effective AI inference solutions. The relevant site transformations and product development are progressing simultaneously, and the company is well-positioned to sustain its execution in the new phase."


The company's Chief Financial Officer, Michael Zhang, stated: "By 2025, the company is expected to achieve significant revenue growth through its scaled mining operations. Despite recording a net loss of $452.8 million from ongoing operations, mainly due to one-time transformation costs and market-driven fair value adjustments, the company, from a financial perspective, will reduce its leverage, optimize its Bitcoin reserve strategy and liquidity management, introduce new capital to strengthen its financial position, and seize investment opportunities in high-potential areas such as AI infrastructure while navigating market volatility."


Fourth Quarter 2025 Ongoing Operations Financial Performance


Revenue


The total revenue for the fourth quarter was $1.795 billion. Of this, the Bitcoin mining business contributed $1.724 billion in revenue, generating 1,718.3 Bitcoins during the quarter. Revenue from the international automobile trading business was $4.8 million.


Operating Costs and Expenses


The total operating costs and expenses for the fourth quarter amounted to $4.56 billion, primarily attributed to expenses related to the Bitcoin mining business, as well as impairment of mining machines and fair value losses on Bitcoin collateral receivables.


This includes:

· Cost of Revenue (excluding depreciation): $1.553 billion

· Cost of Revenue (depreciation): $38.1 million

· Operating Expenses: $9.9 million (including related-party expenses of $1.1 million)

· Mining Machine Impairment Loss: $81.4 million

· Fair Value Loss on Bitcoin Collateral Receivables: $171.4 million


Profit Situation


The operating loss for the fourth quarter was $276.6 million, a significant increase from a loss of $0.7 million in the same period of 2024, primarily due to the downward trend in Bitcoin prices.


The net loss from ongoing operations was $285 million, compared to a net profit of $2.4 million in the same period last year.


The adjusted EBITDA was -$156.3 million, compared to $2.4 million in the same period last year.


Full Year 2025 Ongoing Operations Financial Performance


Revenue

The total revenue for the full year was $6.881 billion. Of this, the revenue from the Bitcoin mining business was $6.755 billion, with a total output of 6,594.6 Bitcoins for the year. Revenue from the international automobile trading business was $9.8 million.


Operating Costs and Expenses


The total annual operating costs and expenses amount to $1.1 billion.


Specifically, they include:

· Revenue Cost (excluding depreciation): $543.3 million

· Revenue Cost (depreciation): $116.6 million

· Operating Expenses: $28.9 million (including related-party expenses of $1.1 million)

· Miner Impairment Loss: $338.3 million

· Bitcoin Collateral Receivable Fair Value Change Loss: $96.5 million


Profitability


The full-year operating loss is $437.1 million. The continuing operations net loss is $452.8 million, while in 2024, there was a net profit of $4.8 million.


The 2025 non-GAAP adjusted net profit is $24.5 million (compared to $5.7 million in 2024). This measure does not include share-based compensation expenses; refer to "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for details.


Financial Position


As of December 31, 2025, the company's key assets and liabilities are as follows:


· Cash and Cash Equivalents: $41.2 million

· Bitcoin Collateral Receivable (Non-current, related party): $663.0 million

· Miner Net Value: $248.7 million

· Long-Term Debt (related party): $557.6 million


In February 2026, the company sold 4,451 bitcoins and repaid a portion of related-party long-term debt to reduce financial leverage and optimize the asset-liability structure.


Stock Repurchase


As per the stock repurchase plan disclosed on March 13, 2025, as of December 31, 2025, the company had repurchased a total of 890,155 shares of Class A common stock for approximately $1.2 million.


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