Don't be a nuclear weapons helper! UN experts warn: Do not participate in the blockchain conference hosted by North Korea.

The United Nations (UN) has warned cryptocurrency enthusiasts not to participate in the upcoming cryptocurrency conference to be held in North Korea. In line with the stance of the United States, the UN views participation in the technology conference as a violation of relevant international sanctions.

The so-called content of international sanctions is to prevent any assistance to North Korea in terms of nuclear weapons, missiles, or invasion actions, including financial transactions, technical training, advice, services, or assistance.

Participants May Face Penalties

Reports indicate that the United Nations has deemed attendance at the Pyongyang Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Conference scheduled for February as a clear violation of international sanctions, warning of severe consequences for non-compliance.

According to information on the conference's official website, U.S. citizens can participate without having their passports stamped, thus avoiding any records of entering the country or any evidence of attending the conference. Additionally, the website emphasizes that no details of attendees will be disclosed.

Previously, UN experts claimed that North Korea has been using cryptocurrency to fund its large-scale weapons of mass destruction program. To date, North Korea has reportedly raised about $2 billion through extensive and sophisticated cyberattacks, primarily stealing funds from banks and cryptocurrency exchanges.

North Korea's Second Cryptocurrency Conference

This marks the second cryptocurrency conference held in North Korea, with the first conference taking place in April 2019. With warnings issued by the United Nations and countries like the United States, any legitimate and high-quality blockchain projects may likely be absent.

Especially, Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith was previously indicted by the U.S. federal government for attending the first North Korean cryptocurrency conference. He is accused of providing North Korea with knowledge on cryptocurrency laundering and circumventing international sanctions, and is currently in custody.

ABM previously reported that the U.S. Treasury Department has imposed financial sanctions on three major North Korean hacker groups - Lazarus, Bluenoroff, and Andariel, linking them to the theft of $571 million in cryptocurrency from five Asian exchanges in 2017 and 2018.

Related Reading

• The U.S. Lists Three Major North Korean Hacker Groups for Sanctions
• Internationally Renowned Hacker Group "Anonymous" to Donate $75 Million in Bitcoin

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