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Bridging the Gap: How Off-Chain and On-Chain Data Can Prevent Crypto Fraud

TL;DR As crypto adoption grows and peer-to-peer (P2P) payment systems like PayPal and Zelle become more mainstream, fraudsters are finding…

Crime

Operation Bonanza: Chainalysis Helps Spanish National Police Recover $21 Million in Crypto During Global Ponzi Scheme Investigation

TL;DR: Chainalysis played a critical role in Operation Bonanza, an investigation led by the Spanish National Police. The action disrupted…

Crime

OFAC Sanctions Iran-Backed Houthi Network for Facilitating Weapons Procurement from Russia via Cryptocurrency

On April 2, 2025, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a network…

Crime

United States DOJ and FBI Seize Cryptocurrency in Major Disruption of Hamas Terrorist Financing Scheme

On March 27, 2025, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a significant disruption of a Hamas terrorist financing…

Crime

What is Authorized Push Payment (APP) Fraud? Understanding Crypto-Related Scams & Prevention

Digital assets are rapidly transforming the global financial ecosystem, offering new models for payments, investment, and value exchange. But alongside…

Crime

Cryptocurrency’s Role in the Global Fentanyl Trade Offers Opportunities for Disruption

The synthetic opioid crisis, which has a growing crypto nexus, is contributing to tens of thousands of deaths annually in…

Crime

International Action Dismantles Notorious Russian Crypto Exchange Garantex

On March 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with authorities in Germany and Finland, announced the…

Crime

Preventing Large-Scale Crypto Hacks: Key Security Measures for Exchanges

Following the Bybit exchange hack on February 21, 2025, the cryptocurrency industry is once again reminded of the concrete consequences…

Crime

OFAC Designates Iran-based Darknet Marketplace Administrator with 49 Cryptocurrency Addresses for Facilitating Fentanyl Sales

Today, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Iran-based Behrouz Parsarad, the administrator…

Crime

Leveraging Transparency for Collaboration in the Wake of Record-Breaking Bybit Theft [UPDATED 2/27/25]

[UPDATED: February 27, 2025; 9:40am EST] This blog has been updated to reflect the latest updates on the Bybit hack.…

Crime

United States’ OFAC, United Kingdom’s FCDO, and Australia’s DFAT Jointly Sanction Zservers for Facilitating Ransomware Attacks

On February 11, 2025, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the United Kingdom’s…

Crime

Chainalysis in Action: Landmark Case in U.S. Sets Precedent for Crypto-Centric Tax Fraud Investigations

In December 2024, Texas resident Frank Richard Ahlgren III was sentenced to two years in prison and to pay $1,095,031…

2025 Crypto Crime Report Introduction
Crime

2025 Crypto Crime Trends: Illicit Volumes Portend Record Year as On-Chain Crime Becomes Increasingly Diverse and Professionalized

In recent years, cryptocurrency has become increasingly mainstream. Although illicit activity on-chain previously revolved heavily around cybercrime, cryptocurrency is now…

Crime

Cryptocurrency in the War Zone: A Closer Look at Recent Events in Syria

Last weekend, the Assad regime — which ruled Syria for over five decades and had been embroiled in a 13-year…

Crime

NCA Disrupts Multi-Billion Dollar Russian Money Laundering Network, OFAC Sanctions Related Individuals and Entities

On December 4, 2024, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) disrupted a multi-billion dollar money laundering network, which provided…