Key facts
- North Korean hackers laundered nearly all $220 million from the Kelp DAO exploit.
- Approximately $1.7 million remains traceable in the original hacker wallets.
- Funds were moved through THORChain, Wasabi CoinJoin, Tornado Cash, and Umbra.
- The exploit occurred on April 18, 2026, draining 116,500 rsETH tokens.
- Total losses reached approximately $292-293 million.
The Kelp DAO bridge hack, attributed to North Korean hackers, highlights the persistent security challenges in the DeFi space. The successful laundering of a significant portion of the stolen funds underscores the difficulty in recovering assets and the sophisticated methods employed by threat actors. This event contributes to the overall high volume of crypto hacks experienced in April 2026.