Look, Who’s Buying Bitcoin…

The latest news reports suggest that North Korea is into the game. Albeit through phishing.

Last week, reports emerged quoting researchers at Secureworks that a trojan malware is being distributed in phishing emails using the lure of a fake job advert, apparently by a cybercrime gang with links to North Korea.

Rumours have that the mails targeting employees at cryptocurrency firms are being sent out by the Lazarus Group, a hacking network reportedly associated with North Korea. Incidentally the same group was being blamed for the WannaCry ransomware outbreak, $80m Bangladesh central bank online heist and the Sony Pictures hack.

It is not only North Korea that is into the Bitcoin game. Looking at the available data, it can be reasonably argued that most of the mafia gangs operating in drugs, trafficking and weapons have been into the game for a while. Rather, they are the ones who are stronger in Bitcoin and Crypto trading.

A close look at the graph will tell you that the highest growth of peer to peer Bitcoin trade over the last one year has been happening in three block of countries — 1) South American countries with history of strong drug mafia networks, 2) BRICS countries, and 3) Countries with strong network of religion-based terror networks.

Some of the highest yearly growth was reported from Latino block of Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. It may be noted that all these Latin American countries have huge drug mafia networks, who have been fighting the US covertly. Among them, Columbia, the epicentre of global drug trade, has reported over 1200% (12 times) of growth in peer-to-peer Bitcoin trading, while all other countries except Argentina have reported over 100 per cent growth. Interestingly, among these group of nations, only Venezuela has a genuine economic crisis that can be attributed as a convincing reason for the flight of the currency.

All BRICS countries have their own share of growth with China leading the pack with over 2000% (over 20 times) growth — the highest growth in any part of the world. Brazil with about 500% and India and Russia with 200% growth follow. All these countries have axe to grind with US Dollar and its hegemony in the global market place.

However, what worries the central bankers around the world the most is the growth of Bitcoin trading in the last one year in Nigeria where religious terrorists have been finding safe haven in the recent past and that of Turkey where sections of militant groups have apparently been hiding their money. Similar red flags can be raised on trading growth from UK and Indonesia as well.

So, now you know who is driving the Bitcoin into stratospheric levels..!