Swap Around and Find Out: The New Rules of International Digital Economic Warfare

North Korean state hackers executed a massive cryptocurrency theft, framing it as a strategic act of economic warfare rather than a simple crime. This event highlights how digital currencies and the networks they operate on have become contested geopolitical terrain, used by adversaries to fund illicit programs and circumvent traditional financial systems. In response, the U.S. national security apparatus is shifting its strategy, treating illicit crypto flows as a direct threat and employing a more aggressive, integrated approach involving military and intelligence agencies. This new landscape demands modern public-private partnerships and reframes economic power, where code and digital infrastructure are now critical tools of international coercion.