North Korea turns to crime networks, mules to launder stolen crypto: Report
Pyongyang has built a complex pipeline spanning blockchains, Chinese-language markets and traditional banks, RUSI says
Shreyas Reddy August 11, 2026
Chinese, North Korean, Thai and Malaysian currency notes | Image: NK Pro (April 2017)
North Korean cybercriminals are increasingly turning to organized crime networks and money mules to convert stolen cryptocurrency to fiat currency, creating a complex laundering pipeline that can make the funds harder to trace, according to a British defense and security think tank.
