Crime
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…
DPRK IT Workers: Inside North Korea’s Crypto Laundering Network
North Korean (DPRK) IT workers continue to infiltrate IT companies globally to earn income, often in cryptocurrency, used to finance…
OFAC Targets $600 Million Iranian Shadow Banking Network Using Cryptocurrency to Evade Sanctions
TL;DR OFAC designated Iranian financial facilitators and their network of front companies for coordinating cryptocurrency transactions that benefit the Islamic…
The Venus Protocol Incident: How Hexagate and a Community Stopped a Hack and Enabled a Swift Recovery
On September 2, 2025, a Venus Protocol user was targeted, putting approximately $13 million at risk. The attack was rooted…
Seoul Police Crack International Hacking Ring with Chainalysis Solutions
Last week, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) announced that it has dismantled one of the most sophisticated cybercrime operations…
OFAC Sanctions Chinese Chemical Company and Its Associates in Synthetic Opioid Crackdown
TL;DR OFAC sanctioned China-based chemical company Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co., Ltd. and two individuals for trafficking synthetic opioids and cutting…
APAC-based Law Enforcement Freezes $47 Million in Pig Butchering Funds Following Collaboration Among Chainalysis, OKX, Tether, and Binance
TL;DR “Pig butchering” scams have become a major criminal enterprise, combining investment fraud with human trafficking, resulting in billions in…
OFAC Sanctions Fraud Network Funding DPRK Weapons Programs
On August 27, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a fraudulent IT worker…
Legislated Sanctions Evasion: How the Garantex Rebrand, Grinex, and the Ruble-Backed Token, A7A5 Have Shaped Russia’s Shadow Crypto Economy
UPDATE 10/24/25: The European Commission adopts its 19th package of sanctions against Russia On October 23, 2025, the European Commission…
The US and Canada Join Forces to Combat Scams, Seizing Millions in Crypto
Last year, we launched Operation Spincaster, a first-of-its-kind public-private initiative designed to disrupt and prevent scams through coordinated global sprints.…
Following the Bitcoin Trail: The IntelBroker Takedown
TL;DR International law enforcement coordinated to take down BreachForum, arresting five administrators including IntelBroker (Kai West). Breakthrough came when IntelBroker…
2025 Crypto Crime Mid-year Update: Stolen Funds Surge as DPRK Sets New Records
Key findings Stolen funds With over $2.17 billion stolen from cryptocurrency services so far in 2025, this year is more…
How Chainalysis Helped Uncover an NCA Officer’s Theft of Seized Bitcoin
TL;DR A UK law enforcement officer stole approximately 50 BTC from assets seized in the Silk Road 2.0 investigation. Despite…