Crime
How Darknet Markets and Fraud Shops Fought for Users In the Wake of Hydra’s Collapse
2022 saw a decline in revenue from the previous year for darknet markets and fraud shops. Total darknet market revenue…
Challenges and Opportunities in Cryptocurrency Sanctions Compliance and How Blockchain Analysis Can Help
This year, the research team at Chainalysis found that illicit activity in crypto reached an all-time high in 2022. Why?…
2022 Biggest Year Ever For Crypto Hacking with $3.8 Billion Stolen, Primarily from DeFi Protocols and by North Korea-linked Attackers
2022 was the biggest year ever for crypto hacking, with $3.8 billion stolen from cryptocurrency businesses. Hacking activity ebbed and…
DOJ and Europol Announce Disruption of Hive Ransomware
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Europol announced the disruption of the Hive ransomware strain, following a joint…
Crypto Money Laundering: Four Exchange Deposit Addresses Received Over $1 Billion in Illicit Funds in 2022
Money laundering is crucial to all financially motivated crime because it’s what enables criminals to access the funds they generate…
The Blockchain Bandit is On the Move: Wallet of Prolific Crypto Thief Moves Funds for First Time in Six Years
After six years of hodling, the notorious “Blockchain Bandit” has woken up and begun moving some of the $90 million…
Ransomware Revenue Down As More Victims Refuse to Pay
2022 was an impactful year in the fight against ransomware. Ransomware attackers extorted at least $456.8 million from victims in…
U.S. Authorities Move Against High-Risk Exchange Bitzlato for Providing Money Laundering Services to Ransomware Attackers and Other Russia-based Criminals
Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest of Russian national Anatoly Legkodymov for his role as founder and…
2023 Crypto Crime Trends: Illicit Cryptocurrency Volumes Reach All-Time Highs Amid Surge in Sanctions Designations and Hacking
Every year, we publish our estimates of illicit cryptocurrency activity to demonstrate the power of blockchains’ transparency – these kinds…
How 2022’s Biggest Cryptocurrency Sanctions Designations Affected Crypto Crime
Agencies like the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and its equivalents in…
Crypto Crime Has Hit Main Street. Here’s How Local Law Enforcement Can Take Action.
There’s a common misconception that tackling cryptocurrency-based crime is solely in the domain of large national-level law enforcement agencies or elite cybercrime units.
BTC-e Sends $165 Million Worth of Bitcoin to Personal Wallets, Exchanges, and Other Services
Today, BTC-e sent nearly $165 million worth of Bitcoin — representing almost all of the Bitcoin left in the service’s…
Ethereum Merge Scams: How Scammers Took Advantage of The Ethereum Merge to Make Millions
We’re now six weeks past the Merge, as Ethereum underwent its switch from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS) on September…
$30 Million Seized: How the Cryptocurrency Community Is Making It Difficult for North Korean Hackers To Profit
One of the most troubling trends in crypto crime right now is the stunning rise in funds stolen from DeFi…
Mid-year Crypto Crime Update: Illicit Activity Falls With Rest of Market, With Some Notable Exceptions
2022 has been a tumultuous year for cryptocurrency markets, with significant price declines across all currencies in May and June.…