A U.S. court has ordered the forfeiture of nearly 300 cryptocurrency accounts linked to North Korea’s laundering of millions of dollars in stolen assets, underscoring Washington's increasing efforts to crack down on illicit cyber activities funding Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

Justice Timothy Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on Wednesday that 279 virtual currency accounts must be forfeited to the U.S. government, citing their links to North Korea’s prolific cryptocurrency thefts, but court documents did not indicate a specific monetary amount that would be handed over.