Sanctions Evasion
US official: North Korea stole over $2B in crypto last year to fund weapons
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Building on a Chainalysis report documenting $2.02 billion in 2025 cryptocurrency thefts by North Korean hackers, a U.S. State Department official told a U.N. meeting that Pyongyang likely stole more than $2 billion last year to support its nuclear and missile programs. The figure aligns with Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team findings of over $1.6 billion stolen from January to September 2025.
Building on late-2025 reports of record $2.7 billion in cryptocurrency heists, illicit addresses received at least $154 billion in 2025—a 162% year-over-year increase—according to the introduction to Chainalysis's 2026 Crypto Crime Report, published January 8, 2026. The surge was driven by a 694% rise in funds to sanctioned entities, with growth across most illicit categories even excluding that factor. The report emphasizes the professionalization of crypto crime, including nation-state involvement and specialized laundering services.