Chainalysis inks MoU with S Korea police to fight crypto crime

Chainalysis signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean National Police Agency on Wednesday to provide training, certifications and investigative tools aimed at strengthening South Korea’s ability to investigate crypto crimes, including attacks linked to North Korea.

Under the agreement, Chainalysis will supply the KNPA with training materials, professional certification programs and hands-on practical exercises for investigators. The programs are designed to help trace and disrupt illicit transfers that move across exchanges, wallets and national borders.

Ryan Kwon, Chainalysis’s country director, described the partnership as focused on building institutional capability rather than targeting a single adversary.

Chainalysis noted that effective investigations require global visibility into cryptocurrency flows. Its analytics and training are intended to help investigators follow funds through multiple exchanges, wallets and jurisdictions so cases can progress from initial leads to prosecutable evidence.

The agreement comes amid a rise in crypto thefts linked to North Korean actors. In April, losses tied to North Korea exceeded $578 million, driven largely by attacks on projects such as Kelp DAO and the Drift Protocol. Research by a cybersecurity firm found North Korea–affiliated hackers were responsible for about $2 billion in crypto losses in 2025, an increase of roughly 51% from the prior year.

South Korean police have previously worked with Chainalysis on cross-border cases. In September, investigators in Seoul dismantled an international hacking group that had stolen about $30 million; the probe began in South Korea and led to a suspect in Thailand.

The MoU follows the recent creation of a multi-agency Money Laundering Eradication Task Force led by the Economic Crime Investigation Division, which centralizes efforts to detect and disrupt laundering tied to virtual assets.

Chainalysis indicated the partnership will support probes of state-linked cybercrime as well as a range of crypto-enabled offenses, including fraud, theft and money laundering. The agreement establishes a framework for ongoing training and cooperation intended to improve the KNPA’s ability to trace illicit funds on global blockchains.