North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is thought to be backing an elaborate scheme entailing the hacking of crypto exchanges.

The group alleged to be doing the hacking is called APT 38. It's considered to be a highly-skilled state-sponsored group of bank hackers that managed to steal $1 billion from banks to fund its nuclear weapons program, according to Wired.

CCN alerted readers last year about North Koreans using cryptos to avoid U.S. sanctions. Then, we noted that cryptocurrencies were being preferred by international criminals and for terrorist financing.

Now that the country has reportedly set its sights on crypto exchanges, players are taking notice of how these bad actors are penetrating and threatening the space.