Market
South Korea Unveils North Korea’s Role in Upbit Hack

According to local media, South Korea confirmed that North Korea was behind the theft of 342,000 Ethereum (ETH) tokens. The 2019 loot, worth approximately 58 billion Won or $41.5 million, was stolen from the Upbit crypto exchange.
The stolen tokens, now valued at 1.47 trillion Won, represent one of the largest cryptocurrency heists attributed to North Korea.
North Korea’s Involvement Uncovered
Per the report, the National Investigation Headquarters of South Korea’s National Police Agency announced on November 21 that two North Korean hacking groups, Lazarus and Andariel, orchestrated the attack. Both groups are known affiliates of North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, a state agency linked to cyber espionage and financial crimes.
Investigators relied on a combination of digital forensics, including tracking IP addresses and analyzing the flow of stolen cryptocurrencies. The probe also identified linguistic traces of North Korean vocabulary.
“It was revealed that traces of the North Korean term ‘Heulhan Il’ (a word meaning ‘unimportant matter’) were found on the computer used in the attack at the time,” another local Korean media corroborated.
This linguistic fingerprint, alongside other technical evidence, strengthened the case against North Korea. According to the report, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) police also aided the investigation. They provided additional evidence linking the attack to North Korea.
Following the theft, the perpetrators exchanged 57% of the stolen Ethereum for Bitcoin on three cryptocurrency exchanges believed to be operated by North Korea. These transactions happened at prices 2.5% below market value, presumably to expedite the sale. They then distributed the remaining Ethereum across 51 overseas exchanges and laundered them to obscure its origins.

In 2020, some of the stolen cryptocurrency was identified at a Swiss crypto exchange. After a four-year effort to prove its source to Swiss prosecutors, South Korean authorities recovered 4.8 Bitcoin (BTC), worth around 600 million won. The recovered funds were later returned to Upbit in October 2024.
Concerns Over North Korea and Upbit Woes
Meanwhile, North Korea’s involvement in cryptocurrency crimes is not new. After a series of reports, authorities have noted a shift in tactics. As BeInCrypto reported recently, hackers linked to the regime are increasingly targeting crypto firms with sophisticated methods. Among the most prevalent techniques are phishing campaigns and supply chain attacks.
“The campaign, which we dubbed ‘Hidden Risk’, uses emails propagating fake news about cryptocurrency trends to infect targets via a malicious application disguised as a PDF file,” a recent report read.
This change of tact highlights the urgency for heightened cybersecurity measures across the industry. Notwithstanding, the confirmation of North Korea’s involvement in the 2019 Upbit hack marks a significant development.
While the United Nations (UN) and foreign governments have previously accused North Korea of funding its weapons programs through crypto theft, this is the first time South Korean authorities have officially linked the regime to a major cryptocurrency heist. The incident highlights the dual vulnerabilities facing the cryptocurrency industry.
First, external threats from state-sponsored hackers and, second, internal risks tied to inadequate regulatory compliance. Against the latter, and as BeInCrypto reported, South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit recently cited concerns about inadequate user verification systems. Specifically, the unit flagged over 600,000 potential KYC violations at Upbit, South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
The discovery of mass KYC violations at Upbit raises questions about whether exchanges are doing enough to prevent illicit activities. Improved oversight, combined with stricter enforcement of anti-money laundering (AML) measures, could help deter future attacks and ensure a safer trading environment for investors.
The exchange is also facing an antitrust investigation by South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, which is examining potential abuses of market dominance.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
Market
Dogecoin (DOGE) Faces Market Correction—Will Buyers Step Back In?

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Market
$14 Billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum Options Set to Expire Today

Today, approximately $14.21 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) options are due to expire.
Market watchers are particularly attentive to this event because it has the potential to influence short-term trends through the volume of contracts and their notional value.
$14.21 Billion Bitcoin and Ethereum Options Expiring
The notional value of today’s expiring BTC options is $12.075 billion. According to Deribit’s data, these 139,260 expiring Bitcoin options have a put-to-call ratio of 0.49. This ratio suggests a prevalence of purchase options (calls) over sales options (puts).
The data also reveals that the maximum pain point for these expiring options is $85,000. The maximum pain point is the price at which the asset will cause the greatest number of holders’ financial losses.

In addition to Bitcoin options, 1,068,519 Ethereum options contracts are set to expire today. These expiring options have a notional value of $2.135 billion, a put-to-call ratio of 0.39, and a maximum pain point of $2,400.
The number of today’s expiring Bitcoin and Ethereum options is significantly higher than last week. BeInCrypto reported that last week’s expired BTC and ETH options were 21,596 and 133,447 contracts, respectively. In the same tone, they had notional values of $1.826 billion and $264.46 million, respectively.

This notable difference comes as this week’s expiring options are for the month and the quarter, with this being the last Friday of March. Deribit options expiry happens on Fridays because it aligns with traditional financial (TradFi) market practices and provides a consistent schedule for traders.
In many global markets, including equities and derivatives, expiration dates for options contracts are commonly set for the end of the trading week—often Friday—to standardize timing and facilitate settlement processes.
Deribit adopted this convention to maintain familiarity for traders transitioning from TradFi to crypto markets and to ensure liquidity and market activity peak at a predictable time.
“Tomorrow is not just any Friday; it’s one of the biggest expiries of the year. Over $14 billion in BTC and ETH options are set to expire at 08:00 UTC. How do you think Q1 will wrap?” Deribit posed in a Thursday post.
Implied Volatility Heading Into Quarterly Options Expiry
Indeed, today’s options expiry concludes the first quarter (Q1) in options expirations. As this happens, analysts at Deribit, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange, observe the implied volatility (IV) curves for BTC and ETH, showing market expectations of price swings.
Specifically, Bitcoin’s curve indicates a strong bias toward higher prices (upside skew) as calls are priced much higher than puts. On the other hand, Ethereum’s flatter volatility curve suggests less directional bias but still reflects elevated volatility. This hints at anticipated price movement around the expiry date of the $14.21 options.
“Chart 1 – $BTC: BTC showing some serious upside skew, calls priced way higher. Chart 2 – $ETH: ETH’s curve is flatter, but volume is still elevated across the board. Both markets signal anticipation of movement into or post-expiry,” Deribit noted.

This suggests that both Bitcoin and Ethereum markets anticipate movement into or post-expiry. Elsewhere, analysts at Greeks.live shed light on current market sentiment, citing a cautiously bearish outlook dominating investors’ perspective for Bitcoin.
Specifically, they suggest that most traders anticipate a retest of lower price levels around $84,000–$85,000. Bitcoin trading for $85,960 as of this writing indicates a potential downward move in the short term.
However, some traders observe that Bitcoin is stuck in a tight, range-bound trading pattern, implying limited volatility unless a breakout occurs. Against this backdrop, Greeks.live highlights key technical levels.
“Key resistance levels being watched are 88,400 where significant passive selling was observed, and potential support at 77,000 which one trader called the definite bottom,” the analysts wrote.
Greeks.live analysts also observe that Implied Volatility is under pressure due to the quarterly delivery, noting significant deviations in the IV Mark. This suggests opportunities for traders to exploit these fluctuations through manual or automated strategies.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
Market
Ethereum Price Struggles—Is Another Breakdown on The Horizon?

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Ethereum price remained supported above the $1,980 level. ETH is now consolidating and remains at risk of a downside break.
- Ethereum struggled to continue higher above the $2,050 resistance level.
- The price is trading below $2,020 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average.
- There is a connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $2,040 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken).
- The pair must clear the $2,040 and $2,100 resistance levels to start a decent increase.
Ethereum Price Dips Again
Ethereum price failed to continue higher above $2,100 and corrected some gains, like Bitcoin. ETH declined below the $2,040 and $2,020 support levels.
It tested the $1,980 zone. A low was formed at $1,982 and the price recently attempted a fresh upward move. There was a move above the $2,020 level. The price tested the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $2,098 swing high to the $1,982 low.
Ethereum price is now trading below $2,020 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is also a connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $2,040 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD.
On the upside, the price seems to be facing hurdles near the $2,040 level. The next key resistance is near the $2,050 level and the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $2,098 swing high to the $1,982 low. The first major resistance is near the $2,095 level.

A clear move above the $2,095 resistance might send the price toward the $2,150 resistance. An upside break above the $2,150 resistance might call for more gains in the coming sessions. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $2,250 resistance zone or even $2,320 in the near term.
Downside Break In ETH?
If Ethereum fails to clear the $2,040 resistance, it could start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2,000 level. The first major support sits near the $1,980 zone.
A clear move below the $1,980 support might push the price toward the $1,880 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $1,820 support level in the near term. The next key support sits at $1,750.
Technical Indicators
Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is losing momentum in the bearish zone.
Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now below the 50 zone.
Major Support Level – $1,980
Major Resistance Level – $2,040
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