Author: Nikkei Asia

If U.S. President Joe Biden thinks his sanctions on North Korea will curb Kim Jong Un’s behavior, he is not paying attention to cryptocurrency markets. A new report from blockchain research firm Chainalysis reckons the Kim regime’s haul from hacking crypto platforms surged 40% in 2021 to roughly $400 million. Written between the lines in bold font is the very high likelihood that Kim’s cyber-scamming army is netting far more than that. Really, can anyone think of a less transparent financial universe than digital assets for Kim to exploit to fund nuclear weapons, retain power and menace world markets? This…