Overview
- Illicit flows rose 162% year over year, with value sent to sanctioned entities jumping 694%, according to Chainalysis’ 2026 report.
- Stablecoins made up 84% of illicit transaction volume, reflecting their dominance in fast, low‑volatility cross‑border transfers.
- Russia’s ruble‑backed A7A5 token processed over $93.3 billion in under a year, exemplifying large‑scale on‑chain sanctions evasion.
- DPRK‑linked hackers stole about $2 billion in 2025, including nearly $1.5 billion in the February Bybit exploit, the largest crypto heist on record.
- Chinese money‑laundering networks and resilient “full‑stack” infrastructure providers expanded, supporting flows from DPRK hacks and Iran‑aligned networks while on‑chain crime showed growing ties to physical coercion and human trafficking.