North Korean cyber operations have reportedly stolen over $6 billion in cryptocurrency over the past decade, significantly contributing to the country's nuclear weapons program. The Lazarus Group, a notorious hacking collective linked to North Korea, has been active in executing sophisticated cyber heists, including a recent operation that netted $2.5 million from sales of Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC). Investigators have highlighted the group's methods, which involve combing through social media to devise scams and infiltrating companies by posing as remote freelancers. This trend is particularly pronounced in Europe, where North Korean IT workers are increasingly targeting organizations for espionage and data theft. The scale of these operations has raised alarms, with North Korean hackers accounting for approximately 60% of industry-wide theft losses in 2024, according to Chainalysis.