North Korea Invades Cryptopia — and Crypto Fights Back

February 2025 — The Month that Crypto Became a Hollywood Blockbuster

Forget Netflix — February 2025 gave us a crypto thriller for the ages.

We’re talking villains (hello, North Korean hackers), plot twists (Trump stacking XRP like it’s gold bars), and a recovery so fast it made even the most seasoned traders dizzy. If you missed the action, don’t worry — here’s your front-row seat to the chaos, complete with heroes, villains, and the biggest lessons we’re taking into March.

The Great Crash: Crypto Takes a Dive Off the High Board

January was pure adrenaline. Bitcoin soared past $100,000, Ethereum danced in the $5K range, and even some of the “serious” altcoins found themselves partying in all-time high territory.

Then came February.

Within the first week, Bitcoin and Ethereum were down over 20%, and the broader market wasn’t far behind. It wasn’t one single punch — it was a combo platter of chaos:

• North Korea’s Lazarus Group was back, wreaking havoc with a record-breaking hack.
• The Fed whispered “rate hikes” again — and investors panicked.
• Whales did what whales do — dumped, manipulated, and sent everyone guessing.

The vibe? Panic, memes, and a whole lot of “Wen bottom?” tweets.

The Comeback — Because Crypto Never Dies

The cool thing about crypto? Crypto has plot armor, and the bad guys shoot like drunken stormtroopers.

By mid-month, Bitcoin found its footing at around $86,050, a far cry from January highs — but well above November and a perfectly normal pit stop in a bull cycle. The same analysts who called for doom started calling it a generational buying opportunity — classic.

Even Ethereum clawed back most of its losses, and some of the smarter altcoins followed suit. The message was clear: crypto’s not done fighting.

Trump Enters the Chat — and Starts Stacking Crypto

Then, on February 25, Trump pulled off the biggest plot twist of the year.

In a move no one saw coming, he announced the creation of a U.S. Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve — basically a digital Fort Knox, designed to give America a foothold in the digital economy. And the first assets to make the cut?

• XRP — the once-controversial token now a government darling.
• Solana (SOL) — proof that speed and scalability pay off.
• Cardano (ADA) — slow and steady finally won something.

The market didn’t just like the news — it loved it. XRP, SOL, and ADA pumped nearly 30% overnight, with Bitcoin and Ethereum also getting added to the reserve a few days later. Suddenly, crypto wasn’t just a tech play — it was a matter of national strategy.

The Villain Returns — North Korea’s Billion-Dollar Bank Job

Every good story needs a villain — and North Korea’s Lazarus Group was all too happy to oblige.

Somewhere in the shadows, while traders were busy refreshing their portfolios, Lazarus executed the biggest crypto heist of 2025, draining $1.4 billion worth of Ethereum from a major exchange.

It was the kind of attack that reminded everyone — even the OGs — why “Not your keys, not your coins” isn’t just a catchphrase.

If you needed a reminder:
Cold wallets are your best friend. Do not store crypto on exchanges. Get yourself a Ledger here and pick up $20 in free BTC. 

Trade Wars & Tariff Tantrums — Geopolitics Invades the Blockchain

Just when things started to stabilize, Trump threw another wrench into the mix — a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico.

Traditional markets flinched, and Bitcoin followed suit, briefly slipping back under $90K. For a moment, it felt like the macroeconomic world was trying to drag crypto back into chaos.

But by month’s end, the initial fear cooled off. Traders remembered that Bitcoin doesn’t care about borders — and the bull market stayed (mostly) intact.

Plot Twist — The SEC Stops Fighting (For Now)

In a twist no one had on their 2025 bingo card, the SEC — after years of suing everything with a blockchain — decided to hit pause.

Five major lawsuits against crypto companies were either dropped or put on ice, signaling something nobody expected:
Maybe the SEC is ready to stop being the villain.

For investors, that meant less legal uncertainty, more confidence, and a much-needed mood boost. It’s probably temporary — but for February, it was enough.

Winners & Losers — Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

Winners

• XRP, Solana, and Cardano — Thanks to their VIP status in Trump’s crypto reserve, these three had a great month.
• Serious Altcoins — Projects with real use cases and revenue potential found buyers again — a sign the market’s getting smarter.

Losers

• Memecoins — Sorry, frog coins, dog coins, and whatever that dancing avocado coin was. The market didn’t have time for jokes in February.
• Exchanges With Bad Security — After Lazarus’ $1.4B jackpot, everyone’s side-eyeing centralized platforms.

The Big Lessons from February

• Crypto Can Take a Punch (or Three) — Down 20%, back up, all in 28 days? That’s not just luck — it’s resilience.
• Governments Are Here to Play — The U.S. stacking crypto isn’t just news — it’s a paradigm shift.
• Security Still Matters — $1.4B hacks don’t just happen in the movies.

Final Thoughts — February Wasn’t Just Volatile, It Was Defining

February 2025 wasn’t just another wild month in crypto — it was a month that reminded everyone why we’re here in the first place.

• The old guard (Wall Street, the Fed, TradFi, the SEC) is learning to live with crypto.
• The new villains (hackers, scammers, rogue states) are getting smarter.
• Memecoins, sh!tcoins and gambling nonsense that add no value are dying out. 
• The real players (the projects building things & adding value) are starting to shine.

If you stuck around through all of it, congrats — you’re not just in crypto, you’re part of the story.

Granular data: 

Despite an almost crypto-wide drop in February, there were still some standouts.

Bostoncoin benefited from exposure to

XRP   up 452% 

SUI   up 386%

XYO   up 216%

As at Feb 28 2025

BOS Price AUD 97.948899

BOS Price USD 60.816314

DARTcoin had an upswing from

Mantra       up 12,786%

Pendle        up 240%

TRON          up 220%

As at Feb 28 2025

DART Price AUD 288.896199

DART Price USD 179.36084

POLLYcoin AI is still firing on all cylinders and trading rapidly. She had a downturn late last year and is now recovering nicely. No particular outstanding tokens. As POLLY is a modern girl, she does not hold onto coins long enough to learn their names 😉

As at Feb 28 2024

POLLY Price AUD 194.99675

POLLY Price USD 121.269353

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