Lazarus-linked Hackers Launder $290M in Stolen Crypto via Ethereum and Bitcoin

CoinDesk reported that hackers tied to North Korea's Lazarus Group laundered $290 million in stolen cryptocurrency using Ethereum and Bitcoin. Bitcoin touched $80,000 in April. In related prediction-market pricing, the "Yes" probability for Bitcoin reaching $80,000 by end-April was 36.5%, down from 44% a day earlier. The contract moved higher after the laundering story surfaced, yet it remains above last week's 31%, leaving a net gain over the past seven days. A separate $150,000 market was essentially unchanged at 0.1%, pointing to limited odds of a sharp upside move. The incident underscored persistent DeFi security weaknesses and raised the likelihood of regulatory scrutiny of crypto money-laundering routes. Bitcoin-USDC daily trading volume was $105,235, but just $24,792 in activity drove a 5-point swing in the $80,000 USDC submarket. The prior largest move was a brief 5-point spike, suggesting positioning is being driven more by headlines than sustained trend-following. At current pricing, buying "YES" shares at $0.37 would pay out $1 if Bitcoin hits $80,000 by the end of April, implying a 2.7x return. That thesis assumes no major additional security breaches and no escalation in regulatory actions over the remaining weeks. Key items to watch include the exchange's response to laundering-related incidents, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission commentary on DeFi security, and any fresh enforcement actions. Any of these could trigger sizable volatility in the $80,000 contract. The note also points readers to predictive market intelligence via structured API sources and encourages joining a waitlist.