Crime
Sanctioned Russia-Linked Exchange Grinex Suspends Operations Following Alleged Cyberattack
TL;DR Grinex, the sanctioned successor to the Russian exchange Garantex, suspended operations yesterday following a claimed 1 billion ruble ($13.7…
Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Crypto Toll: An Evolution of Tehran’s Expanding Use of Digital Assets
TL;DR Bloomberg reported on April 1, 2026 that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was already extracting transit tolls from…
Operation Atlantic: How Public-Private Collaboration Is Freezing Millions in Crypto Scam Proceeds
Last week, Chainalysis joined a proactive joint operation co-hosted by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the US Secret Service,…
The Drift Protocol Hack: How Privileged Access Led to a $285 Million Loss
TL;DR On April 1, 2026, Solana’s Drift Protocol was drained of $285 million (over 50% of its TVL) in a…
From the Battlefield to the Blockchain: How Cryptocurrency Is Helping Finance the Drone Revolution
TL;DR Low-cost, commercially available drones have become central to modern conflict, allowing state and non-state actors, such as pro-Russia militias…
UK Government Designates Xinbi, Key Node in Chinese-Language Crypto-Enabled Scam Infrastructure
TL;DR The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has designated Xinbi, a major Chinese-language illicit guarantee marketplace. The designation…
The Resolv Hack: How One Compromised Key Printed $23 Million
On March 22, 2026, the Resolv DeFi protocol became the latest example of how quickly things can unravel in DeFi…
OFAC Targets North Korean IT Worker Networks Using Cryptocurrency to Fund WMD Programs
TL;DR OFAC designated six individuals and two entities for facilitating North Korean IT worker schemes that generated nearly $800 million…
Iranian Crypto Outflows Spike After Airstrikes Amid a Year of Rising On-Chain Activity
Update, 3/5/26 Earlier this week, we published an initial analysis of crypto outflows from Iranian exchanges in the immediate aftermath…
OFAC Designates Iranian-Linked Crypto Exchanges in First-Ever Action Targeting Digital Asset Firms in Iran’s Financial Sector
TL;DR OFAC designated two UK-registered crypto exchanges, Zedcex and Zedxion, for operating in Iran’s financial sector and processing cryptocurrency transactions…
Chinese Language Money Laundering Networks Emerge as Major Facilitators of the Illicit Crypto Economy, Now Driving 20% of Laundering Activity
TL;DR After emerging at the start of the pandemic, Chinese-language money laundering networks (CMLNs) now dominate known crypto money laundering…
Why Now is the Time for the UK to Lead the Global Fight against Crypto-enabled Fraud
TL;DR Crypto-enabled fraud cost victims at least $14 billion globally in 2025, with sophisticated scams like pig butchering and AI-powered…
Inside Iran’s Growing $7.8 Billion Crypto Ecosystem: IRGC Dominance and a Flight to Bitcoin Reflect Geopolitical Tensions and Domestic Unrest
TL;DR Iran’s crypto ecosystem reached over $7.78 billion in 2025, having grown at a faster pace for most of the…
OFAC and Crypto Crime: Every OFAC Specially Designated National with Identified Cryptocurrency Addresses
As far back as the early 1800s, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued economic sanctions to achieve foreign…
Follow the Fraud: How to Protect Your Customers this Holiday Season
The end of year holiday season may be a time of celebration, but for fraudsters, it’s open season. Cybercriminals take…
