So, I've got some wild news to share with you. You won't believe this, but it turns out that North Korea has been quietly infiltrating the crypto industry by sending undercover IT workers to various blockchain firms. I know, right? Sounds like something straight out of a spy movie!

Anyway, CoinDesk did some digging and found out that more than a dozen crypto companies have accidentally hired these North Korean workers. We're talking big names here, like Injective, ZeroLend, Fantom, Sushi, Yearn Finance, and even Cosmos Hub. These workers were so good at their deception that they passed interviews, reference checks, and even had genuine work histories.

I mean, can you imagine? These guys were using fake IDs, pretending to be from different countries, and even had impressive GitHub profiles. It's like they were professional catfishers, but for jobs instead of dating.

But here's where it gets really scary. Hiring these workers isn't just illegal—it's also a massive security risk. Some of the companies that hired them ended up getting hacked. For example, Sushi lost a whopping $3 million in a hack back in 2021, and it's suspected that North Korean workers were involved.

The U.S. government has been warning about this for a while now. Hiring North Korean workers is against the law, and it's been happening since at least 2018. These workers are funneling their earnings back to the North Korean government, which is using the money to fund its nuclear weapons program.

I talked to some people in the industry, and they all agree that this is a huge problem. One guy, Zaki Manian, who's a big deal in the blockchain world, said that more than 50% of the resumes they get are probably from North Korea. It's like they're everywhere, and no one knows how to filter them out.

So, what can we do about it? Well, for starters, companies need to be way more careful about who they hire. They need to do better background checks and be on the lookout for red flags. And if they do find out that they've hired a North Korean worker, they need to come forward and share their experiences so that others can learn from them.

I know this is all pretty heavy stuff, but it's important for us to be aware of what's going on. The crypto industry is still pretty new, and it's up to us to make sure that it grows in a safe and responsible way. So let's stay informed, stay vigilant, and do our part to keep the bad guys out.

Stay safe out there, folks!