About this episode
North Korea isn’t just hacking crypto anymore, it’s studying it, infiltrating it, and turning DeFi’s weakest links into a state-run revenue machine. This time around, Ryan and David sit down with Ari Redbord of TRM Labs to unpack the Drift hack, the $6B DPRK crypto crime machine, how stolen funds move through THORChain, Bitcoin, OTC desks, and Chinese laundering networks, and why the fightback may require everything from better DeFi security to real-time Beacon alerts and offensive cyber.---🎬 DEBRIEF | RYAN & DAVID BREAKDOWN THE EPISODEhttps://www.bankless.com/podcast/debrief-why-north-korea-is-winning-crypto-crime-and-how-to-fight-back-ari-redbord-trm-labs---BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS:🔮POLYMARKET | #1 PREDICTION MARKEThttps://bankless.cc/polymarket-podcast🟦 COINBASE ONE | GET 20% OFFhttps://bankless.cc/coinbase-one🧭OKX | TRADE, EARN, PAY to OKX | 120M+ USERS WORLDWIDEhttps://app.okx.com/join/USBANKLESS🦊 METAMASK | DOWNLOAD NOWhttps://go.metamask.io/BL-Pod-Download🌐BRIX | EMERGING MARKET YIELDhttps://bankless.cc/brix💰NEXO | Get your 30-day access to Wealth Club Premierhttps://bankless.cc/nexo---TIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro2:16 The Drift Hack5:15 Human Weak Points11:16 The DPRK Hacker Network14:56 The $6B Machine20:32 Fighting Back28:11 Seizures and Victims38:58 Inside TRM Labs47:01 Laundering Rails52:51 The Beacon Network58:06 Privacy vs Security1:10:20 Code and Crime1:14:49 Iran on Tron1:22:55 Bitcoin and Power1:28:49 Hardening DeFi---RESOURCESAri Redbordhttps://x.com/ARedbordTRM Labshttps://www.trmlabs.com/TRM’s DPRK Reporthttps://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/north-korea-stole-76-of-all-crypto-hack-value-in-2026-with-just-two-attacksAri’s Homeland Security Testimonyhttps://www.congress.gov/119/meeting/house/119126/witnesses/HHRG-119-HM11-Wstate-RedbordA-20260421.pdf---Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:https://www.bankless.com/disclosures