Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

About Author

Amin Ayan is a crypto journalist with over four years of experience in the industry. He has contributed to leading publications such as Cryptonews, Investing.com, 99Bitcoins, and 24/7 Wall St. He has…

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Last updated: 

July 25, 2025

An Arizona-based TikTok influencer has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for her role in a North Korean plot to infiltrate the U.S. tech workforce and fund the regime’s weapons program.

Christina Marie Chapman, who gained popularity online for her freelance lifestyle content, was convicted in Washington, D.C. on charges of wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.

In addition to prison time, Chapman was ordered to forfeit over $284,000 and pay restitution of $176,850. She will also serve three years of supervised release.

TikToker Ran ‘Laptop Farm’ to Help North Korean IT Workers Pose as US Employees

According to prosecutors, Chapman operated a “laptop farm” from her home, allowing North Korean IT workers to remotely access U.S.-based networks while appearing to be physically located inside the country.

Between 2020 and her arrest, she helped operatives obtain remote roles at more than 300 American companies, including Fortune 500 firms, a major television network, and a leading aerospace manufacturer.

“Even an adversary as sophisticated as the North Korean government can’t succeed without the assistance of willing U.S. citizens like Christina Chapman,” said Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.

US authorities say North Korea has built a global network of IT operatives who use fake identities and proxy networks to secure jobs and channel funds to the regime.

Chapman’s activities helped facilitate these efforts by setting up U.S.-based internet access, laundering wages through personal bank accounts, and shipping laptops overseas, including multiple devices sent to a Chinese city near North Korea.

Investigators seized more than 90 laptops from her residence and discovered she had sent 49 more abroad.

The wages earned by the North Korean agents were misreported to the US tax and social security agencies under stolen or borrowed American identities.

The crypto sector remains a key target in this operation. According to Chainalysis, North Korean-linked hackers stole $1.34 billion in cryptocurrency in 2024 alone, up 21% from the previous year.

Cybersecurity experts say North Korean job seekers are increasingly sophisticated, often hiring European actors to front video interviews while using VPNs and proxy IPs to conceal their locations.

North Korea Linked to Major Crypto Hacks

North Korea has also been linked to several other major crypto heists, including those targeting Bybit, the Ronin Bridge, Harmony, and various DeFi platforms.

Global law enforcement is responding. The U.S. Department of Justice recently moved to seize over $7.7 million in digital assets tied to North Korean IT workers embedded in blockchain firms.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and South Korea signed a bilateral agreement in 2023 to enhance their technical capabilities in detecting and countering DPRK cyber operations.

North Korean cyber strategies continue to evolve. In April, Lazarus-linked operatives reportedly set up US-based shell companies to distribute malware to crypto developers.

Kraken recently thwarted an infiltration attempt by a suspected North Korean posing as a job candidate.

A Nigerian court has adjourned a tax evasion case against Binance to April 30 to allow the country’s tax authority time to respond to a legal request from the exchange, according to a statement by the company’s legal counsel.

Reuters reported that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is seeking $2 billion in back taxes and $79.5 billion in damages for alleged economic losses resulting from Binance’s activities in Nigeria. 

The agency claims Binance has a “significant economic presence” in the country and should, therefore, be subject to corporate income tax, including payments for 2022 and 2023, along with a 10% annual penalty on unpaid amounts.

Jurisdictional dispute over service of documents

The case has been delayed following Binance’s application to annul a prior court order permitting the service of documents by email.

Binance lawyer Chukwuka Ikwuazom argued that the service was invalid because the FIRS did not obtain judicial leave to serve legal papers outside Nigeria. 

Binance is registered in the Cayman Islands and does not maintain a physical presence in the country.

Ikwuazom defended:

“On the whole, the order for the substituted service as granted by the court on February 11, 2025 on Binance, who is registered under the laws of Cayman Islands and resident in Cayman Islands, is improper and should be set aside.”

The court granted the adjournment to enable the tax authority to respond to Binance’s motion formally. At the next hearing, the FIRS is expected to present arguments supporting the validity of the court-sanctioned substituted service.

Broader legal and regulatory context

The proceedings are part of a wider clampdown by Nigerian authorities on crypto-related platforms, which have been blamed for destabilizing the country’s currency markets.

In 2024, two Binance executives were detained as part of a broader investigation into the exchange’s role in facilitating naira-denominated crypto transactions.

Authorities allege that platforms like Binance have undermined official exchange rates and facilitated capital flight through peer-to-peer markets. 

While Binance is not officially licensed to operate in Nigeria, local users continue to use it to access digital assets and stablecoins.

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