Jan 27, 2026
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BEARISH 📉 : Crypto money laundering reached $82 billion in 2025
Illicit cryptocurrency money laundering surged to over $82 billion in 2025, an eightfold increase from $10 billion in 2020, as reported by Chainalysis.
- Chinese-language money laundering networks (CMLNs) are now major players, processing $16.1 billion annually with over 1,799 active wallets.
- CMLNs account for about 20% of known illicit laundering activities, growing 7,325 times faster than inflows to centralized exchanges since 2020.
Key Operations of CMLNs
- Comprised of six service types: running point brokers, money mules, informal desks, Black U services, gambling platforms, and money movement services.
- Exploit China’s capital controls, providing liquidity for organized crime groups.
- Shifted rapidly to using cryptocurrencies over traditional systems.
Crackdown and Resilience
- Despite China's 2021 ban on cryptocurrency trading, underground operations continue.
- In 2024, Chinese authorities prosecuted 3,032 individuals linked to crypto laundering cases.
- In January 2026, South Korea dismantled a $102 million crypto remittance ring.
- Cambodia has become another focus, with $49 billion in transactions linked to Huione Guarantee.
Combating these resilient networks requires public-private cooperation, combining law enforcement and blockchain analytics expertise to increase operational costs and risks for criminals.