North Korea hackers suspected in new $35 million crypto heist

North Korean hackers were likely behind the theft of at least $35 million from a popular cryptocurrency service, multiple crypto-tracking experts told CNN Tuesday.

It's the latest in a string of hacks of cryptocurrency firms linked to Pyongyang that US officials worry could be used to fund the North Korean regime's nuclear and ballistic weapons programs.

The hackers drained the cryptocurrency accounts of certain customers of Atomic Wallet, an Estonia-based company that claims 5 million users of its software.

Atomic Wallet said on Saturday that "less than 1%" of monthly users appeared to be affected by the hack. The firm has not specified how much money might have been stolen or who was behind the hack. CNN has requested comment from the firm.

Some of the apparent victims of the hack took to Twitter to beg the hackers for their money back, posting their cryptocurrency addresses in case the hackers took pity on them.

North Korean hackers have stolen billions of dollars from banks and cryptocurrency firms over the last several years, providing a key source of revenue for the regime, according to reports from the United Nations and private firms.

In the Atomic Wallet incident, the hackers' money-laundering techniques and the tools they used matched telltale North Korean behavior, according to London-based crypto-tracking firm Elliptic.