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$197 Million Stolen: Euler Finance Flash Loan Attack Explained [UPDATED 4/6/23]

New updates, 4/6/23: Hacker returns stolen funds, marking one of the largest DeFi recoveries Several weeks after the $197 million…

Crime

Oracle Manipulation Attacks are Rising, Creating a Unique Concern for DeFi

As we’ve covered previously, 2022 was the biggest year in crypto hacking history, with more than $3.8 billion stolen. However,…

Crime

How the Dutch National Police Tricked Prolific Ransomware Strain Deadbolt Into Giving Up Victim Decryption Keys

Deadbolt is a ransomware strain that first became active around January 2021, and operates very differently from other notable strains…

Crime

24% of New Tokens Launched in 2022 Bear On-Chain Characteristics of Pump and Dump Schemes

Pump and dump schemes in traditional finance are quite simple: Holders of a tradable asset, such as stock in a…

Crime

Crypto Scam Revenue Dropped 46% in 2022, While Blockchain Analysis Finds Links Between What Appear to be Distinct Scams

While scams remain the largest form of cryptocurrency-based crime (that is, if we ignore transactions associated with OFAC-sanctioned entities, which…

Crime

The U.S. and U.K. Sanction Members of Russia-Based Trickbot Cybercrime Gang

Our data shows ransomware strains related to Trickbot extorted at least $724M worth of crypto, making Trickbot the 2nd highest earning cybercrime group.

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…

Crime

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?…

Crime

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…

Crime

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…

Crime

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…

Crime

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…

Crime

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…

Crime

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…

Crime

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…