"Crypto crime surged to unprecedented levels in 2025, fueled by a combination of nation-state activity, large-scale thefts, and increasingly professionalized criminal infrastructure, according to newly compiled data from Chainalysis shared with Bitcoin Magazine. Illicit crypto addresses, an account involved in criminal activities like scams, ransomware, darknet markets, etc, received at least $154 billion over the year - a 162% increase from 2024 - with sanctioned entities accounting for a dramatic 694% of that growth."
"Perhaps the most striking trend of 2025 was the rise of nation-state activity on-chain. Russia's ruble-backed A7A5 token alone transacted over $93.3 billion within its first year, marking one of the clearest real-world examples of state-backed crypto-enabled sanctions evasion. Iran, meanwhile, continued to leverage proxy networks for money laundering, illicit oil sales, and arms procurement, funneling more than $2 billion through wallets confirmed in sanctions designations."
Illicit crypto addresses received at least $154 billion in 2025, a 162% increase from 2024. Sanctioned entities drove 694% of that growth; excluding sanctioned actors, 2025 still set a record. Nation-state activity surged: Russia's ruble-backed A7A5 token transacted over $93.3 billion in its first year, facilitating sanctions evasion. Iran used proxy networks for laundering, illicit oil sales, and arms procurement, funneling over $2 billion through wallets tied to sanctions designations. North Korea's DPRK-linked actors stole about $2 billion, including a February Bybit exploit that netted nearly $1.5 billion. Illicit activity remained under 1% of total crypto volume but increased risks to security, consumers, and regulators.
Read at Bitcoin Magazine
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