North Korea to Host International Crypto Conference

North Korea is hosting its first-ever international cryptocurrency and blockchain conference on Oct. 1, 2018.North Korea Joins the Blockchain Movement.

North Korea will host industry leaders from around the world in its first cryptocurrency and blockchain conference, Oct. 1-3, reports The Straits Times.

The Korean International Blockchain Conference will welcome blockchain and cryptocurrency experts and professionals to North Korea's capital city, Pyongyang.

Through the event, North Korea plans to showcase its advancements in blockchain technology and draw investor attention to new projects.

North Korea's open gathering is an unexpected development, given their recently alleged involvement in large-scale cryptocurrency exchange hacks.

On Aug. 24, CryptoSlate reported that North Korean hacker group "Lazarus" launched a malware-infected cryptocurrency trading application for MacOS users that automatically downloaded a virus upon opening.

North Korea attempted to develop a Bitcoin mining operation last year, according to Yonhap News Agency.

A local report compiled by the research division of Korea Development Bank revealed that North Korea may have attempted to mine bitcoin from May 2017 to July 2017, but was unsuccessful.

The same report notes that North Korean technology firm Chosun Expo was developing a cryptocurrency exchange for bitcoin trading at the time.

Given the nation's interesting past and difficult international relations, it's still unknown whether international leaders and industry experts will attend North Korea's first cryptocurrency and blockchain conference.