A panel monitoring U.N. sanctions says North Korea earned as much as $2 billion dollars through large-scale cyberattacks and cryptocurrency heists. The country will apparently help fund its weapons programs.

The experts claim North Korea is using cyberspace to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks. The attack steals funds from financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges to generate income in violation of sanctions. Notably, the government of Kim Jong Un is using new techniques to earn hard currency for its illicit activities. Also, North Korea’s cryptocurrency heist’s incomes are harder to trace. It was also subject to less government oversight and regulation than the traditional banking sector. There have been some high-profile cryptocurrency heists. As per the source, it includes a hack of the BITPoint exchange. It caused the loss of 3.5 billion yen, or $32 million, worth of virtual money.

According to the UN, at least 35 instances in 17 countries of North Korea-affiliated actors attacking financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges are currently under investigation. North Korea has also continued to violate sanctions using illicit ship-to-ship transfers of coal and refined petroleum products. Apart from this, the country procured items for the production of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

North Korea is cut off from conventional revenue sources by UN sanctions such as exporting coal, lead, iron, textiles, and seafood.