What is North Korea

North Korea engages in cyber theft and sanctions evasion. In May 2026, Ari Redbord stated that North Korea stole $1.5 billion in Ethereum and converted almost all of it within 72 hours, then used services it typically uses. He noted that North Korean proxies sat across tables from protocol employees over months, indicating social engineering at scale. Redbord also observed that North Korea moved funds faster than ever before, attributing it to access to liquidity via Chinese criminal networks. In June 2026, Sarah Paine said that sanctions prevent one to two percent growth per annum, and over generations this difference explains the gap between North and South Korea. In May 2026, Lukas Czinger described North Korea as a “paper tiger” that may not have updated its weapon systems and technology.