Chainalysis: сrypto Money laundering grows to $82 billion

Key points:

• Crypto money laundering has grown from $10 billion to more than $82 billion over the past five years, turning into a full-scale industry.
• Chinese-language networks and Telegram-based platforms play a central role, enabling fast coordination and effective obfuscation of transaction trails.

Over the past few years, the use of cryptocurrencies in money-laundering schemes has changed significantly. According to a Chainalysis report, these operations have not only increased in scale but also become far more technically sophisticated. Analysts note that communities operating primarily in Chinese now hold a critical position in today’s shadow economy.

A year-by-year comparison highlights just how dramatic the growth has been. In 2020, roughly $10 billion in suspicious funds moved through blockchains. By 2025, that figure had climbed past $82 billion. Experts say this growth is not simply the result of a larger crypto market, but of an entire ecosystem of specialized services that are now openly promoted in messaging apps and operate directly on-chain.

What’s Driving the Growth of Crypto Laundering

Chainalysis estimates that so-called Chinese-language money laundering networks (CMLN) now account for about 20% of all identified illicit laundering activity. Since 2020, capital flows into these networks have grown far faster than those going into centralized exchanges or DeFi platforms. The main reason is clear: criminals are deliberately avoiding services where assets can be frozen.

In 2025 alone, at least $16.1 billion moved through these schemes. The funds were spread across roughly 1,800 wallets and handled by various types of intermediaries. These include brokers selling access to banking infrastructure, networks of “money couriers,” informal OTC exchanges, and so-called “black U” platforms that sell tainted cryptocurrency at a discount.

Telegram-based escrow services remain the backbone of this ecosystem. They hold funds during transactions, act as reputation hubs, and connect buyers with service providers. Even when individual channels are shut down, these networks quickly regroup on new platforms with minimal disruption.

Analysts also point to strong links between crypto laundering and offline crime, ranging from scam call centers to organized cybercrime groups. Despite sanctions, warnings, and tighter oversight, Chainalysis concludes that crypto-based money laundering has evolved into a resilient global services industry — one that can quickly adapt to pressure from regulators and law enforcement.