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Crypto Money-Laundering Hit $82 Billion in 2025, Researchers Say
Money launderers received at least $82 billion in cryptocurrencies in 2025, a significant increase from $10 billion in 2020. This surge was partly driven by fast growth among Chinese-speaking groups, according to blockchain researchers.
The most rapidly growing sector has been Chinese-language money-laundering networks, which emerged during the pandemic. These networks processed nearly $40 million worth of cryptocurrency per day in 2025, as noted by U.S.-based blockchain research company Chainalysis in a report.
Blockchains keep a record of wallet addresses involved in cryptocurrency transactions, but identifying the individuals behind these wallets is challenging. Chainalysis reported that it had identified approximately 1,800 active wallets used by Chinese-language money-laundering networks to process $16.1 billion worth of cryptocurrency in 2025. It also suggested that these figures are likely underestimated.
Although a spokesperson for Chainalysis did not elaborate on the firm's methodology, they indicated that their website describes how they connect real-world activity to blockchain records using machine learning and forensic experts.
Crypto trading is banned in China, where digital tokens are not acknowledged as legal tender or financial assets. In 2024, China prosecuted 3,032 individuals involved in crypto-related money laundering, according to the country's top procurator.
Regulators and authorities globally have expressed concerns about the role of cryptocurrencies in crime, owing to their relatively lighter regulation compared to mainstream finance. Nonetheless, experts believe that crypto is merely one of the various means criminals use to move funds.
Crypto money-laundering networks employ techniques to evade detection, such as using "guarantee" platforms that offer escrow services, allowing money launderers to advertise their services, as highlighted by Chainalysis.
Chainalysis noted, "Chinese-language guarantee platforms, money movement services, and associated financial crime networks reveal a complex and resilient ecosystem that continues to adapt despite enforcement efforts."
They further stated, "As with other genres of illicit on-chain activity, actions against guarantee services can be disruptive, but the core networks persist and migrate to alternative channels when challenged."
This article has been published in news.yahoo.com via Yahoo News.
Crypto money-laundering hit $82 billion in 2025, researchers say
Jan 27 (Reuters) - Money launderers received at least $82 billion in cryptocurrencies last year, up sharply from $10 billion in 2020, driven in part by fast growth among Chinese-speaking groups, blockchain researchers said on Tuesday. The fastest-growing category has been Chinese-language...
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