That's a nuclear-armed cryptosuperpower.a nation,

according to North Korea watchers, whose crypto prowess is directly funding the development of those weapons, with the likelihood of a new nuclear weapons test rising.Over the past ten days, the rogue nation has increased its ballistic missile testing:After North Korea fired a missile over the island of Hokkaido on Wednesday, authorities in Japan advised over 5 million people to seek immediate shelter.Additionally, it is highly likely that this was financed, if not entirely, by stolen cryptocurrency.
Since the pandemic began, North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has grown increasingly dependent on crypto.It has historically relied on trade on the black market, exporting labor, meth, coal, cigarettes, and other goods to China, Russia, and especially Southeast Asia.However, Kim Jong Un's zero COVID strategy has closed borders, reducing the nation's already low revenues.In 2020, North Korea's largest trading partner, China, saw a 80% decline in trade, and there are numerous reports of food shortages.The worth of cryptocurrencies has also skyrocketed at the same time.
Bitcoin is trading 250% higher than it was before the pandemic, despite the recent crypto crash.Over 700% have been added to Ether, the second largest cryptocurrency.
Between February and April, Garlock estimates that he met a dozen people he now considers to be North Korean agents.It's fortunate that none of them were referred to one of his client businesses.If they can fool just one person, North Korean hackers have demonstrated that they can do a lot of damage.