GLOBAL: The volume of illicit funds moving through cryptocurrency channels hit an all-time high of $82 billion in 2025, according to data released Tuesday by blockchain forensics firm Chainalysis. This represents a significant escalation from 2020 levels, where the figure stood at just $10 billion.
Key Drivers of the Surge:
- Chinese Networks: The report specifically identifies “Chinese-language money laundering networks” as the fastest-growing category. These groups processed nearly $16.1 billion in 2025 using over 1,800 active wallets.
- Escrow Services: These networks utilize “Guarantee Platforms”—intermediary services that hold funds in escrow—to facilitate transactions between criminals while maintaining trust.
- Volume: These specific networks are estimated to be processing $40 million daily.
Methodology & Limits Chainalysis noted that these figures are “lower-bound estimates,” meaning the actual numbers are likely much higher. The firm uses machine learning to map real-world entities to blockchain wallet addresses. While governments worldwide, including China’s procuratorate which sued 3,032 individuals last year, are cracking down, the agility of these networks (using stablecoins and cross-chain bridges) continues to challenge law enforcement.
