Ransomware brought in around $602 million to hackers in 2021

Chainalysis analysts suggest that after the final calculations, this figure will be much higher

11.02.2022 - 09:45

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What’s new? Chainalysis presented a report on cryptocurrency-related ransomware activity. In 2021, the scammers earned around $602 million this way. The analysts suggest that after the final calculations, this figure may be much higher.

Chainalysis’s report

What data did Chainalysis provide? This year, the average amount of payments in ransomware reached a record high of $118 000, a 26% increase over 2020. It also recorded the highest number of active malware strains, with around 140 varieties identified in total.

Conti became the most active strain in 2021, withdrawing almost $200 million via cryptocurrency. Darkside came in second place with $100 million. Chainalysis concluded that most ransomware attacks are financially motivated, but some scammers have “geopolitical goals involving deception, espionage, reputational damage and disruption of the government’s operations.”

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