Crime
OFAC Targets North Korean IT Worker Networks Using Cryptocurrency to Fund WMD Programs
TL;DR OFAC designated six individuals and two entities for facilitating North Korean IT worker schemes that generated nearly $800 million…
Iranian Crypto Outflows Spike After Airstrikes Amid a Year of Rising On-Chain Activity
Update, 3/5/26 Earlier this week, we published an initial analysis of crypto outflows from Iranian exchanges in the immediate aftermath…
OFAC Designates Iranian-Linked Crypto Exchanges in First-Ever Action Targeting Digital Asset Firms in Iran’s Financial Sector
TL;DR OFAC designated two UK-registered crypto exchanges, Zedcex and Zedxion, for operating in Iran’s financial sector and processing cryptocurrency transactions…
Chinese Language Money Laundering Networks Emerge as Major Facilitators of the Illicit Crypto Economy, Now Driving 20% of Laundering Activity
TL;DR After emerging at the start of the pandemic, Chinese-language money laundering networks (CMLNs) now dominate known crypto money laundering…
Why Now is the Time for the UK to Lead the Global Fight against Crypto-enabled Fraud
TL;DR Crypto-enabled fraud cost victims at least $14 billion globally in 2025, with sophisticated scams like pig butchering and AI-powered…
Inside Iran’s Growing $7.8 Billion Crypto Ecosystem: IRGC Dominance and a Flight to Bitcoin Reflect Geopolitical Tensions and Domestic Unrest
TL;DR Iran’s crypto ecosystem reached over $7.78 billion in 2025, having grown at a faster pace for most of the…
OFAC and Crypto Crime: Every OFAC Specially Designated National with Identified Cryptocurrency Addresses
As far back as the early 1800s, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued economic sanctions to achieve foreign…
Follow the Fraud: How to Protect Your Customers this Holiday Season
The end of year holiday season may be a time of celebration, but for fraudsters, it’s open season. Cybercriminals take…
$35 Million in Crypto Drained in 15 Minutes: How Exchange Hacks Are Evolving and How to Prevent Them
Earlier this year, one of the largest crypto exchanges in South Korea detected abnormal withdrawal activity from one of its…
U.S., U.K., and Australia Target Russian Cybercrime Infrastructure Supporting Global Ransomware Operations; U.S. Targets Crypto Laundering of Global Drug Trafficking Network
TL;DR OFAC, in coordination with the U.K. and Australia, designated Russian bulletproof hosting provider Media Land, LLC and its network…
U.S. Launches New Strike Force to Combat $10 Billion Southeast Asian Scam Industry; OFAC Targets Burma-Based Cyber Scam Network
TL;DR The U.S. Department of Justice, together with major federal law enforcement and interagency partners, announced the creation of the…
How Colombia’s National Police Dismantled the Clan del Golfo’s ‘Black Jack’ Crypto Laundering Network
In a landmark international operation, the Policía Nacional de Colombia (PNC), in coordination with the Spanish Civil Guard, Europol, and…
DOJ Seizes $15 Billion in Bitcoin as U.S. and U.K. Target Massive Southeast Asian Crypto Scam Network
UPDATE 10/30/25: OFAC added 25 new bitcoin addresses to Chen Zhi’s SDN listing. These addresses represent additional crypto wallets controlled…
How Coinbase’s Proactive Fentanyl Investigation Sprint Disrupted Criminal Networks with Chainalysis Intelligence
The synthetic opioid crisis continues to devastate communities across the United States, with fentanyl-related deaths contributing to tens of thousands…
The Growing Landscape of Seizable Crypto Assets: On-Chain Balances Linked to Criminal Activity Exceed $75 Billion
Key findings Criminal balances Illicit entities hold nearly $15 billion in 2025, with stolen funds representing the largest category. Wallets…