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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2026-01-30 18:51:43.041
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Crypto wallets received a record $158 billion in illicit funds last year. Illegal cryptocurrency flows reached a record $158 billion in 2025, reversing a three-year trend of declining amounts from $86B in 2021 to $64B in 2024. This sharp 145% increase is being reported by blockchain intelligence experts at TRM Labs, who noted that it comes despite the illicit activity share of the total on-chain volume actually falling slightly from 1.3% in 2024 to 1.2% in 2025. According to TRM Labs, the spike in volumes can be attributed to: Hacks, scams, and ransomware TRM Labs has recorded a total of $2.87 billion in losses from 150 hacking incidents in 2025, with the top 10 accounting for 81% of all stolen value. The most prolific was the February 2025 Bybit breach, attributed to North Korean hackers, which resulted in approximately $1.46 billion in losses. Scam activity remained very high in 2025, with approximately $35 billion in cryptocurrency sent to fraud schemes throughout the year. The sector was dominated by investment scams, which accounted for 62% of total inflows, including romance baiting, Ponzi schemes, and fake task scams. TRM Labs observed a rise in the organization, professionalism, quality, and outreach of these scams, believed to be a result of using AI tools. Finally, ransomware-linked cryptocurrency inflows remained elevated over the past year, although they did not reach the levels seen in previous years. Although 2025 was a record year for victims listed on extortion portals, it appears that more and more victims are now resisting paying ransom to cybercriminals. TRM Labs also observed unprecedented ecosystem fragmentation, with 161 active strains and 93 variants added in 2025 alone. Ransom laundering operations continued to evolve last year, with mixer usage falling by 37%, while bridge usage and cross-chain routing increased by 66%. Secrets Security Cheat Sheet: From Sprawl to Control Whether you're cleaning up old keys or setting guardrails for AI-generated code, this guide helps your team build securely from the start. Get the cheat sheet and take the guesswork out of secrets management.
Daily Brief Summary
TRM Labs reported a 145% increase in illegal cryptocurrency flows in 2025, totaling $158 billion, reversing a previous three-year decline.
Despite the increase in volume, the share of illicit activity in total on-chain volume slightly decreased from 1.3% in 2024 to 1.2% in 2025.
Hacks, scams, and ransomware were primary contributors, with $2.87 billion lost in 150 hacking incidents, including a major $1.46 billion breach at Bybit by North Korean hackers.
Scam activities reached $35 billion, dominated by investment scams, with AI tools enhancing the sophistication and reach of these fraudulent schemes.
Ransomware-related cryptocurrency inflows remained high, though more victims resisted paying ransoms, despite a record number of victims on extortion portals.
The ecosystem saw significant fragmentation with 161 active ransomware strains and 93 new variants, while laundering tactics shifted from mixers to increased bridge usage and cross-chain routing.