The U.S. has dissolved an investigation unit that played a leading role in countering North Korea’s cryptocurrency laundering, raising questions about the future of Washington-led global efforts to curtail activities supporting DPRK nuclear and missile development.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Department of Justice (DOJ) employees in a memo last week that the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) would be “disbanded effective immediately” as part of a broader effort by the Donald Trump administration to deregulate the cryptocurrency sector.