Find notable cyber news and cases, enriched with sources, timelines, and signals.
Home Browse News Feed Stats Watchlists Beta About Contact

2025 Record surge in illicit cryptocurrency flows and cybercrime-related inflows

Target Trend
First reported
Last updated
Happening score
H score 34
2 unique sources, 2 articles

Summary

Hide ▲

Illegal cryptocurrency flows surged to a record $158 billion in 2025, reversing a multi-year decline and signaling a broader resurgence in illicit on-chain activity. The increase matters because the total came alongside $2.87 billion in hacking losses, roughly $35 billion sent to scams, and continued ransomware-linked inflows. Even though illicit activity made up a slightly smaller share of total on-chain volume, the absolute scale of criminal crypto movement expanded sharply.

Related Happenings

Dubai Police international crypto scam-center crackdown

Law Enforcement
First: 30.04.2026 14:21 Last: 30.04.2026 14:21 Sources 1

About this happening: Authorities **arrested at least 276 suspects** and **shut down nine cryptocurrency investment fraud centers**, disrupting a cross-border fraud network tied to **pig-butchering sch...

Open Happening

Chen Zhi arrest and extradition in Cambodia-China scam-compound case

Law Enforcement
First: 20.01.2026 12:00 Last: 20.01.2026 12:00 Sources 1

About this happening: On **January 6, 2026**, **joint Cambodian/Chinese authorities** **arrested and extradited** **Chen Zhi** in a **cybercrime-linked scam-compound** case. The move sent the matter in...

Open Happening

Record illicit crypto wallet inflows in 2025 despite lower share of blockchain flows

Target Trend
First: 12.01.2026 12:15 Last: 12.01.2026 12:15 Sources 1

About this happening: **Illicit crypto wallets** received an estimated **$158bn** in **2025**, the highest level seen in five years, even as their share of total crypto activity fell. The increase refl...

Open Happening

2025 Surge in illicit crypto transactions by sanctioned states

Target Trend
First: 09.01.2026 18:56 Last: 09.01.2026 18:56 Sources 1

About this happening: **Illicit cryptocurrency transactions** surged **more than 160% in 2025**, reaching **at least $154 billion** and widening the risk of sanctions evasion and laundering across the...

Open Happening

Ilya Lichtenstein early release in Bitfinex hack case

Law Enforcement
First: 05.01.2026 11:42 Last: 05.01.2026 11:42 Sources 1

About this happening: **Ilya Lichtenstein** was **released early** from prison and placed under **home confinement** in the **Bitfinex hack** case. The custody change followed his **November 2024** sen...

Open Happening

Timeline

  1. 30.01.2026 20:49 3 articles · 3mo ago

    TRM Labs reports record $158 billion in illicit crypto flows in 2025

    Initial Disclosure

    TRM Labs reports that illegal cryptocurrency flows reached a record $158 billion in 2025 after a three-year decline, while illicit activity still represented a slightly smaller share of total on-chain volume. The same analysis ties the increase to sanctions-linked crypto activity involving Russia-associated networks such as A7 and the A7A5 stablecoin, expanded use of cryptocurrency by state-aligned actors including Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, and improved attribution and faster intelligence sharing that surfaced previously unattributed illicit flows. The report also records $2.87 billion in losses from 150 hacking incidents, about $35 billion sent to fraud schemes, and elevated ransomware activity with 161 active strains and 93 variants added in 2025.

    Show sources
    Open in new tab