Criminal use of crypto spikes after years of steady decline, TRM report says

A TRM Labs report analyzing 2025 data revealed that criminal actors pulled in $158 billion in digital assets, marking a sudden increase in illicit value after years of decline. Despite this rise, illicit activity accounted for only about 1.2% of the total crypto volume, which grew significantly due to stablecoin activity. The report highlights that the actors behind this crime are becoming increasingly professional, often state-backed operations utilizing sophisticated infrastructure. A major driver of sanctions-related volume was Russia-linked flows, including activity through the ruble-backed stablecoin A7A5. Furthermore, crypto hacking incidents totaled nearly $3 billion in 2025, with sophisticated actors, particularly those linked to North Korea (DPRK), increasingly compromising the operational foundations of crypto services rather than just exploiting code. This professionalization complicates recovery efforts for stolen assets.

(Source：CoinDesk)