North Korean hackers have stolen more than $2 billion in cryptocurrencies so far this year, according to researchers.
These repeated thefts are estimated by the United Nations to account for around 13% of the country’s GDP.
In recent years, several members of the Lazarus hacking group have been targeting cryptocurrency companies in order to steal large amounts of digital assets. The stolen funds are used to fund North Korea’s nuclear programme and missile development.
Although North Korea does not disclose its GDP, the United Nations estimates it to be around $15.17 billion.
The largest theft attributed to North Korean hackers took place in February this year, when the equivalent of $1.4 billion in cryptocurrencies was stolen from the Bybit platform.
