According to a United Nations (UN) Security Council research, South Korean news agency Yonhap said on Thursday that there had been $3 billion in cryptocurrency thefts connected to North Korea between 2017 and 2023.
The report also stated that a UN Security Council panel is looking into 17 cryptocurrency heists that occurred in 2023 and were valued at over $750 million. These heists may have been carried out by North Korea.
The report states that between 2017 and 2023, there were 58 suspected cyberattacks on companies involved in the cryptocurrency space. According to the report, cyberattacks provide North Korea with about half of its foreign exchange earnings, which it uses to finance its nuclear development.
According to the report, North Korea has been using the cryptocurrency market as a way to get around sanctions, earning it the title of “the world’s most prolific cyber-thief.”
In December, the cybersecurity company Recorded Future also estimated that the North Korea-affiliated hacker group Lazarus Group had taken $3 billion in cryptocurrencies over the previous six years.