Chinese-language crypto laundering networks surge as illicit on-chain flows hit $82B
Illicit crypto money laundering reached $82 billion in 2025, dominated by rapidly growing Chinese-language networks.Summary
Cryptocurrency money laundering has dramatically increased over the last five years, reaching an estimated $82 billion in on-chain flows in 2025, up from $10 billion in 2020, according to a Chainalysis report. Chinese-language money laundering networks (CMLNs) are central to this growth, accounting for about 20% of known laundering activity and growing thousands of times faster than flows to regulated exchanges since 2020. Chainalysis identified $16.1 billion processed by CMLNs in 2025 across services like brokers, money mule networks, and informal OTC desks, often coordinated via Telegram-based escrow platforms. This professionalization and resilience suggest deep connections to off-chain criminal organizations, highlighting how crypto laundering has become a rapidly adapting global service industry.
(Source：CoinDesk)