Updated on 05th November, 2025
This Article Was First Published on TurkishNY Radio.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed broad sanctions on eight individuals and two entities associated with North Korea for allegedly laundering funds from cyberattacks and illicit IT-worker plots.
“North Korean state‑sponsored hackers rob financial institutions around the world to support the regime’s destabilizing agenda, including its pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
said John K. Hurley, under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
The sanctioned individuals are bankers (Jang Kuk Chol and Ho Jong Son), as well as the company Korea Mangyongdae Computer Technology Company (KMCTC), which is alleged to have been sending cryptocurrency & worker remittance money back home to Pyongyang’s weapons-development program.
Inside the North Korea Crypto Laundering Scheme
Break it down to its elements, and the network used both cybercrime and overseas labor fraud in order to conceal the source of money. The activity, as described by OFAC, included:
Management of crypto and fiat flows using banks and shell entities.
Laborers sent overseas under fake identities with money funneled back to the regime through middlemen.
Employment of intermediaries in China and Russia to hide shipments and elude international sanctions.
On‑chain IDs and crypto addresses are now officially listed by OFAC, confirming that math no longer protects wrongdoers.
For example, OFAC was also cited for designating at least US$5.3 million worth of cryptocurrency processed by the two blacklisted bankers via a listed bank.
Others point to the bigger picture. Elliptic calculates that hackers connected to North Korea stole over $2 billion worth of digital assets in 2025 alone.
Why This Matters to Crypto Firms and Regulators
The sanctions are not only about geopolitical posturing; they hold sweeping implications for cryptocurrency service providers and for banks and compliance teams.
Designators will feature crypto addresses, addressing whether exchanges, custodians, or wallets on the receiving end of these same wallets could be under questioning or possible shutdown.
The combination of crypto theft, employee fraud,, and funding terrorism with weapons heightens regulatory risk; firms may unknowingly be helping to facilitate state-sponsored laundering networks.
The case highlights the need to support a traditional definition of AML/CTF (anti‑money‑laundering / counter‑terror finance) when digital assets flow across borders.
As one compliance specialist put it,
“The road from cyber‑theft to missile‑funding now ends in crypto.”
North Korea’s Cyber‑Finance Playbook
This round of sanctions is also consistent with other reporting that North Korea has significantly increased its efforts to steal and launder cryptocurrency. A new allied team report calculates that the looting has stolen at least US$2.84 billion over the past 21 months.
Typical methods include:
Taking advantage of vulnerabilities in exchanges or OTC desks
Infiltrating companies through fake job postings to steal crypto
Using mixers, tumblers and chain-hops to obfuscate flows
The Treasury statement stresses that these funds help to support the regime’s WMD and missile programs, meaning that this is not just a question of financial enforcement but one of national and international security.
What Firms Should Do Now
For crypto platforms, banks or custodians, and fintech companies:
Check parties and addresses against recently added OFAC identifiers (including on‑chain addresses).
KYC and AML processes should be strong, particularly where relationships with a high sanctions‑risk jurisdiction are involved.
Watch for pseudo‑labor go‑rounds. Pseudo‑IT worker arrangements can be used to conceal the movement of dirty money.
Collaborate, in conjunction with regulators and FIUs, to stay abreast of new money laundering techniques.
Final Word
These latest sanctions represent an intensified focus on the financial pipelines fueling state‑sponsored cybercrime.
In identifying the crypto addresses and worker‐fraud fronts, regulators are sending a signal that the crypto industry needs to emphasize its efforts to police its rails, or else become an unwitting conduit for profligate state funds.
Businesses that accept and act upon this development sooner will be part of a more agile competitive position in the months to come.
Glossary of Key Terms
Crypto Laundering
The process of obfuscating stolen or illicit cryptocurrency by transferring it through many wallets or services. It’s like laundering dirty money with many hands to make it appear clean.
Sanctions
Legal limitations imposed on countries, corporations, or individuals to prevent harmful actions. In crypto, these are frozen or banned wallets or assets.
SDN List (Specially Designated Nationals List)
A public roster of individuals and entities the U.S. has sanctioned. If they are on that list, Americans and American companies can’t do business with them.
Mixers/Tumblers
Tools that combine people’s crypto together so they can’t be traced back to where it came from. If we’re talking about pouring a bunch of coins into one jar and shaking it and then reaching in to pull out the coins randomly.
Shell Company
An empty shell company used to transfer money discreetly. These are companies in name only that don’t actually sell goods or services.
KYC (Know Your Customer)
A mandate that would tell companies to verify who their users are. So it is there to help prevent fraud and to make sure the company knows who is riding (or driving).
Remote IT Worker Scam
When hackers pose as foreign techies with fake names or IDs to get jobs. They send the proceeds to finance illicit activities or remit money to groups such as the North Korean government.
Frequently Asked Questions About North Korea crypto laundering
What is North Korean crypto laundering, and why does it matter?
With stolen crypto, fake identities, and proxies, North Korea funds weapons programs and poses serious threats to global security as well as the integrity of digital finance.
How does the Treasury find crypto wallets used to launder money?
OFAC provides a list of blockchain wallet addresses associated with nefarious activity, aiding both exchanges and banks as they block transactions involving sanctioned actors.
What do crypto firms need to do to remain in compliance with those sanctions?
Companies need to screen OFAC-listed digital wallets, enhance their KYC processes, and monitor multi-chain transactions for signs of laundering activity associated with North Korean entities.
Are there consequences if you hit me up from my BTCAGIAWIERGAGH?
Yes. Under new OFAC crypto laundering enforcement rules, U.S. actors doing business with blacklisted wallets could be fined or have their licenses revoked and potentially be prosecuted.
