The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has issued a stark warning: North Korea and Iran are increasingly exploiting cryptocurrency to circumvent economic sanctions and fund illicit activities. According to a recent FATF report, these countries are leveraging the anonymity and speed of cryptocurrency transactions to access global markets and bypass traditional financial regulations. The report highlights the $1.4 billion theft from the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit in February, attributed to North Korea. These funds are suspected to have been funneled into their nuclear weapons program. Cryptocurrency offers sanctioned nations a convenient and difficult-to-trace method of transferring funds internationally. Moreover, the FATF report suggests the potential for cryptocurrency to facilitate weapons collaboration between sanctioned states like North Korea, Russia, and Iran, further complicating international efforts to curb proliferation. The exponential increase in cryptocurrency usage within these countries poses a significant challenge to global economic stability and security. ```