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North Korea recorded its most profitable year ever for cryptocurrency theft in 2024, stealing $1.34 billion in virtual funds to finance its nuclear and missile programs, according to an upcoming report by a U.S. blockchain analysis firm.

The figure represented more than 60% of the $2.2 billion stolen worldwide this year, while the country's 47 cryptocurrency heists accounted for a fifth of total incidents, Chainalysis said in a preview of its 2025 Crypto Crime Report on Thursday.