Crime
How the Dutch National Police Tricked Prolific Ransomware Strain Deadbolt Into Giving Up Victim Decryption Keys
Deadbolt is a ransomware strain that first became active around January 2021, and operates very differently from other notable strains…
24% of New Tokens Launched in 2022 Bear On-Chain Characteristics of Pump and Dump Schemes
Pump and dump schemes in traditional finance are quite simple: Holders of a tradable asset, such as stock in a…
Crypto Scam Revenue Dropped 46% in 2022, While Blockchain Analysis Finds Links Between What Appear to be Distinct Scams
While scams remain the largest form of cryptocurrency-based crime (that is, if we ignore transactions associated with OFAC-sanctioned entities, which…
The U.S. and U.K. Sanction Members of Russia-Based Trickbot Cybercrime Gang
Our data shows ransomware strains related to Trickbot extorted at least $724M worth of crypto, making Trickbot the 2nd highest earning cybercrime group.
How Darknet Markets and Fraud Shops Fought for Users In the Wake of Hydra’s Collapse
2022 saw a decline in revenue from the previous year for darknet markets and fraud shops. Total darknet market revenue…
Challenges and Opportunities in Cryptocurrency Sanctions Compliance and How Blockchain Analysis Can Help
This year, the research team at Chainalysis found that illicit activity in crypto reached an all-time high in 2022. Why?…
2022 Biggest Year Ever For Crypto Hacking with $3.8 Billion Stolen, Primarily from DeFi Protocols and by North Korea-linked Attackers
2022 was the biggest year ever for crypto hacking, with $3.8 billion stolen from cryptocurrency businesses. Hacking activity ebbed and…
DOJ and Europol Announce Disruption of Hive Ransomware
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Europol announced the disruption of the Hive ransomware strain, following a joint…
Crypto Money Laundering: Four Exchange Deposit Addresses Received Over $1 Billion in Illicit Funds in 2022
Money laundering is crucial to all financially motivated crime because it’s what enables criminals to access the funds they generate…
The Blockchain Bandit is On the Move: Wallet of Prolific Crypto Thief Moves Funds for First Time in Six Years
After six years of hodling, the notorious “Blockchain Bandit” has woken up and begun moving some of the $90 million…
Ransomware Revenue Down As More Victims Refuse to Pay
2022 was an impactful year in the fight against ransomware. Ransomware attackers extorted at least $456.8 million from victims in…
U.S. Authorities Move Against High-Risk Exchange Bitzlato for Providing Money Laundering Services to Ransomware Attackers and Other Russia-based Criminals
Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest of Russian national Anatoly Legkodymov for his role as founder and…
2023 Crypto Crime Trends: Illicit Cryptocurrency Volumes Reach All-Time Highs Amid Surge in Sanctions Designations and Hacking
Every year, we publish our estimates of illicit cryptocurrency activity to demonstrate the power of blockchains’ transparency – these kinds…
How 2022’s Biggest Cryptocurrency Sanctions Designations Affected Crypto Crime
Agencies like the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and its equivalents in…
Crypto Crime Has Hit Main Street. Here’s How Local Law Enforcement Can Take Action.
There’s a common misconception that tackling cryptocurrency-based crime is solely in the domain of large national-level law enforcement agencies or elite cybercrime units.