In what experts are calling a groundbreaking use case for blockchain technology, North Korean hackers have ingeniously decided to employ smart contracts for something other than making headlines at overpriced tech conferences. Yes, the hermit kingdom’s finest digital mischief-makers have now allegedly used ‘EtherHiding’ to conceal malware within blockchain smart contracts. Who knew all those decentralized finance seminars would one day manifest in this unique crime spree?

According to Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG), the hacking collective mysteriously named UNC5342—because naming things after random alphanumeric sequences was apparently the last cool thing North Korea adopted—has been busy using this method to distribute malware and pilfer cryptocurrency. At last, a state-sponsored hacking group has found something less hackneyed than nuclear threats: Ethereum! Let’s hope no one tells them about NFTs.

In lieu of the traditional hacker methods like spear phishing and exploiting outdated software systems, these cyber wizards have turned to the blockchain’s immutable ledger, because nothing says ‘we mean business’ quite like leveraging one of the least understood and most hyped technologies of our time. However, some experts are suggesting that the malicious North Korean actors are just getting frustrated with the Ethereum ‘gas fees’ and think redirecting funds themselves is far more efficient. Either way, the blockchain buzzword finally has some actual relevance—by making cybercrime more innovative!