Darknet Markets, North Korean hackers, scams and ransomware. We cover it all in part 2 of our exclusive Crypto Crime Report edition of Public Key. In this episode, Eitan Danon (Content Marketing Manager, Chainalysis) speaks with Eric Jardine (Cybercrimes Research Lead, Chainalysis), who helps us unpack what is new, the same and what surprised him in this year’s report.
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Public Key Episode 156: Crypto Crime Diversified: From Extremism to Illicit Wildlife
Darknet Markets, North Korean hackers, scams and ransomware. We cover it all in part 2 of our exclusive Crypto Crime Report edition of Public Key.
In this episode, Eitan Danon (Content Marketing Manager, Chainalysis) speaks with Eric Jardine (Cybercrimes Research Lead, Chainalysis), who helps us unpack what is new, the same and what surprised him in this year’s report.
Eric provides a nuanced analysis of illicit activities involving cryptocurrency and how they have shifted over the past year and explains the increased diversification and professionalization in the crypto crime space, painting a comprehensive picture of the challenges facing law enforcement and the compliance sector.
They both describe the shift in cryptocurrency usage from Bitcoin to stablecoins and altcoins and the impact of real-world events correlated with on-chain behavior and how these crypto crimes are mirroring geopolitical tensions.
Quote of the episode
”What we’ve seen quite notably over the last three years is that stablecoins have come to take up a significant proportion of all illicit activity if you were to take everything that happens on every chain across every crime type and basically aggregate it all together into an annual proportion.”
– Eric Jardine (Cybercrimes Research Lead, Chainalysis)
Minute-by-minute episode breakdown
2 | Crypto crime diversification and illicit activity trends
4 | What cryptocurrencies are illicit actors using most?
9 | Surprising illicit activity that has emerged in crypto and digital assets
13 |Unexpected trends in stolen funds and ransomware activity
21 | Enhancing crime detection with signals and evidentiary data
26 | Predicting darknet market trends amidst crypto crime dynamics
30 | How Tornado Cash being delisted and Garantex being shutdown will impact 2025 stats
33 | Favorite sections of Crypto Crime Reports – Past and Present
Related resources
Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.
- Report: The Chainalysis 2025 Crypto Crime Report (Download Your Copy Today)
- Conference: Chainalysis Links NYC (April 1 & 2, 2025) * Get Tickets Now!
- Blog: International Action Dismantles Notorious Russian Crypto Exchange Garantex
- Blog: Cryptocurrency’s Role in the Global Fentanyl Trade Offers Opportunities for Disruption
- News: Chainalysis Integrates With Ink
- YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
- Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
- Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram
Speakers on today’s episode
- Eitan Danon *Host* (Content Marketing Manager, Chainalysis)
- Eric Jardine (Cybercrimes Research Lead, Chainalysis)
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