US DOJ Recasts Crypto as Fraud Infrastructure in New Review

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is shifting its focus in crypto enforcement, recasting digital assets not as standalone scams but as central infrastructure for modern, industrial-scale fraud operations. In its 2025 Year in Review, the DOJ highlighted cases involving Medicare fraud, investment schemes, and asset laundering, noting that prosecutors charged 265 defendants with an aggregate intended loss exceeding $16 billion—more than double the previous year. The enforcement strategy is moving away from price manipulation toward asset recovery, treating crypto similarly to traditional illicit assets like cash. Examples include seizing over $7.2 million in crypto related to a $1 billion Medicare fraud scheme and sentencing the Wolf Capital CEO for a $9.4 million crypto investment scam. This trend aligns with broader policy efforts, such as the bipartisan SAFE Crypto Act, and reflects a view that crypto's regulatory trajectory is increasingly defined by its role as systemic financial plumbing for crime, rather than just market volatility.

(Source：BeInCrypto)