Chainalysis, South Korea Link Up on Crypto Crime

Blockchain security firm Chainalysis is strengthening its collaboration with South Korea’s national police to crack down on crypto crimes, including those involving North Korea.

Chainalysis said on Wednesday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), aimed at building investigative capability within South Korea’s law enforcement. 

Chainalysis said one of the driving factors behind the agreement is to better combat North Korea-linked crypto attacks, with South Korea’s police “at the forefront” of tackling these threats. However, Chainalysis’s country director Ryan Kwon said agreement aims to tackle all threats.

“While North Korean-driven attacks are understandably a national security focus, this partnership isn’t designed around a single threat. It’s fundamentally about building institutional capability,” Kwon told Cointelegraph.

Signing ceremony of the MoU between Chainalysis and the Korean National Police Agency. Source: Chainalysis

In April, crypto theft linked to North Korea topped $578 million, largely from attacks targeting Kelp DAO and the Drift Protocol. Research from CrowdStrike found that North Korea-affiliated hackers were responsible for $2 billion in crypto losses in 2025, up 51% from the year before. 

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The agreement will give the KNPA access to personalized training content by Chainalysis, along with professional certification programs and practical training.

“To investigate these cases effectively, Korean investigators need global visibility into illicit fund flows,” Chainalysis said. 

Chainalysis has aided South Korean investigators for years. In September, police in Seoul dismantled an international hacking organization that had stolen approximately $30 million. The investigation began in South Korea but eventually saw investigators track the target to Thailand. 

The MoU comes weeks after South Korean police launched a special multi-agency task force to tackle crypto-based money laundering, called the Money Laundering Eradication Task Force, which is led by the Economic Crime Investigation Division. 

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