Sanctions Drive Illicit Crypto Address Flows to Record High in 2025
Illicit crypto addresses received a record $154 billion in 2025, driven largely by nation-states evading sanctions.Summary
Ongoing global sanctions against nation-states propelled the total value of cryptocurrency received by illicit addresses to an all-time high in 2025, according to Chainalysis's 2026 crypto crime report. Illicit addresses received at least $154 billion, marking a 162% year-over-year increase from 2024's $59 billion, primarily due to sanctioned entities seeking to evade restrictions at scale. This trend is exemplified by Russia, which launched its ruble-backed A7A5 token in February 2025 and transacted over $93.3 billion in less than a year. The report notes a maturation of the illicit on-chain ecosystem, mirroring legitimate trends where stablecoins dominate illicit transactions, accounting for 84% of all volume due to their utility and cross-border transferability. Despite this record increase, Chainalysis emphasizes that illicit crypto use remains a small fraction, staying below 1% of all attributed crypto transaction volume.
(Source：Cointelegraph)