North Korea Crypto Theft 2025 Surpasses $2 Billion: A Digital War Chest for Missiles

Pyongyang just hit a dark milestone. North Korea likely stole over $2 billion in cryptocurrency during 2025, according to a U.S. official. This massive digital heist isn't just about profit; it's the primary engine bankrolling the regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Decoding North Korea Crypto Theft 2025 Tactics

Jonathan Fritz, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the State Department, revealed on January 12 that from January to September 2025, hackers had already siphoned over $1.6 billion. The total for the year is expected to exceed $2 billion, a 51% year-over-year surge that aligns with estimates from blockchain platform Chainalysis.

The regime doesn't act alone. It relies on a sophisticated network of facilitators in China, Russia, Cambodia, and Vietnam to launder stolen assets into fiat currency. Furthermore, Pyongyang has deployed 1,000 to 1,500 IT workers in China and 150 to 300 in Russia. These workers use fraudulent identities to land jobs at global companies, funneling legitimate salaries back to DPRK entities.

The Rise of the MSMT

This data comes from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), an 11-country coalition formed after Russia vetoed the extension of the UN expert panel in 2024. South Korea's deputy envoy, Kim Sang-jin, warned that the regime is systematically undermining the integrity of global financial systems by exploiting the crypto industry.