US Government Recovers $30M From Crypto Game Axie Infinity Hack

Crypto analytics firm Chainalysis announced Thursday it helped the U.S. government recover about $30 million stolen from online video game Axie Infinity earlier this year.

In a blog post, Erin Plante, senior director of investigations at Chainalysis, said law enforcement officials were able to recover the funds, which were stolen by Lazarus Group, a North Korean hacking entity tied to multiple crypto thefts over recent years.

"With the help of law enforcement and leading organizations in the cryptocurrency industry, more than $30 million worth of cryptocurrency stolen by North Korean-linked hackers has been seized. This marks the first time ever that cryptocurrency stolen by a North Korean hacking group has been seized, and we’re confident it won’t be the last," Plante said.

Hackers stole over $600 million from Axie this past spring, laundering many of the proceeds through privacy mixer Tornado Cash. The U.S. Treasury Department later sanctioned Tornado Cash for facilitating money laundering.

A Treasury Department spokesperson didn't immediately return a request for comment.

This is a developing story and will be updated.