​​FATF: Crypto enabling sanctioned states to fund weapons programs

A new report from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) warns that sanctioned states like North Korea and Iran are increasingly using cryptocurrencies to finance illicit weapons programs. The report highlights North Korea’s $1.4 billion theft from ByBit and notes the use of mixers, unhosted wallets and lightly regulated exchanges to launder stolen assets. According to Decrypt, FATF and experts point to growing coordination among threat actors and the strategic appeal of crypto’s pseudonymity and global accessibility for circumventing sanctions.