crime

The National Association of Attorneys General, the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the National Sheriffs' Association jointly sent a letter to the Department of Justice and the White House on Tuesday, warning that Section 604 of the Digital Asset Market Structure Clarity Act contains serious enforcement loopholes that could make it difficult for law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute crypto-related criminal activities. The letter pointed out that Section 604 includes broad exemption clauses that may allow individuals or entities assisting in the circulation of crypto assets to evade regulatory accountability, disrupting the investigative and enforcement powers that have long been relied upon.The four organizations emphasized that their concerns are not aimed at developers who simply write or publish software code, but rather at the broad exemptions that may provide a shield for illegal activities. The core of the controversy lies in Section 604—the "Blockchain Regulatory Clarity Act" (BRCA) provision, which was originally a standalone bill but was later incorporated into the Clarity Act, aimed at providing a safe harbor for non-custodial developers, clarifying that they do not fall under money transmission entities. Law enforcement organizations believe this move will create obstacles for investigations into crypto crimes.Additionally, the letter pointed out that several other provisions of the bill would "reduce transparency, weaken accountability mechanisms, and create loopholes in the anti-money laundering framework." On the same day, nearly a hundred Catholic leaders representing parishes across the country also issued a warning, stating that the bill could weaken protections against human trafficking. In response, White House cryptocurrency advisor Patrick Harker insisted that the Clarity Act is a bill that "supports regulation and supports law enforcement," emphasizing that the U.S. must proactively set standards or risk passively accepting the rules of other countries.

The leaders of the G7 countries issued a statement at the G7 summit held in Évian-les-Bains, France, once again calling for a joint effort to combat North Korea's cryptocurrency theft and cybercrime. United Nations security researchers have linked North Korea's cryptocurrency theft to the funding of the country's weapons program.Previously, attacks suspected to be related to North Korean hackers included a $285 million attack on Drift Protocol in April and a $36 million breach of Humanity Protocol in June. According to Chainalysis data, North Korean hackers have stolen at least $2 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, bringing their total historical theft to at least $6.75 billion.

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis posted on the X platform stating that the CLARITY Act will allocate $150 million to support law enforcement in tracking down fraudsters and other criminals in the digital asset space, enhancing the crackdown on cryptocurrency-related criminal activities.

According to CryptoSlate, the U.S. Congress is pushing to rebuild the Department of Justice's cryptocurrency crime task force. Previously, the Department of Justice disbanded the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team in April 2025 and stopped its "law enforcement as regulation" strategy targeting the cryptocurrency industry. The new bill was proposed by Representatives Lance Gooden and Josh Gottheimer, aiming to establish a federal cryptocurrency theft task force within the Department of Justice, responsible for coordinating investigations and prosecutions of cases involving cryptocurrency theft, hacking, fraud, and more.The task force's responsibilities include developing best practices for evidence collection, digital evidence analysis, asset tracking, and victim outreach, providing technical assistance and training to state and local law enforcement agencies, and coordinating international cross-border case cooperation. The bill explicitly excludes the cryptocurrency market, financial institutions, and financial products from the task force's regulatory scope, without changing the existing regulatory framework and criminal law. An FBI report indicates that in 2025, there were 181,565 complaints involving cryptocurrency, with reported losses exceeding $11 billion. The bill has not yet clarified details regarding funding, staffing, and victim response mechanisms.

According to The Block, the T3 Financial Crime Unit (T3 FCU), jointly established by Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs, announced that since its establishment in 2024, it has frozen over $450 million in illegal crypto assets globally.The unit intercepted illegal proceeds in 2025, with a year-on-year increase of 43.9%, covering 23 jurisdictions including the United States, Spain, and Germany, and was recognized by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as "an important resource for global law enforcement agencies."T3 FCU has participated in various criminal investigations, including exchange hacks, North Korea-related activities, terrorist financing, and violent crime cases, and assisted the Brazilian Federal Police in freezing over $5.989 billion in assets, including 4.3 million USDT.

The French National Anti-Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office (Pnaco) has stated that cases of kidnapping and illegal detention involving cryptocurrency are continuing to surge. Among the 12 related cases currently under investigation, 88 people have been prosecuted, including more than 10 minors, and another 75 are in custody awaiting trial.Prosecutor's data shows that since 2023, French law enforcement has recorded 135 such cases, with 18 in 2024, rising to 67 in 2025, and reaching 47 so far in 2026. Many of these cases involve violent kidnappings, ransom extortion, and forcing victims to transfer cryptocurrency assets. The prosecution pointed out that some suspects have appeared multiple times in different cases, indicating the formation of a structured criminal network behind it. The previous kidnapping incident involving Ledger co-founder David Balland is also seen as an important sign of the escalating security risks in the French cryptocurrency industry.

The National Police of Ukraine and the Internal Security Department conducted a joint operation, arresting a suspect in the Transcarpathian region who is alleged to be involved in an international cybercrime gang. This gang is implicated in fraud and money laundering cases exceeding $100 million targeting the United States and Europe, and had previously been listed as an international wanted person by the FBI.The suspect was found in possession of forged identity documents and had even fabricated a death certificate to conceal their whereabouts. The gang deployed malware to steal personal and corporate data, subsequently extorting victims for ransom. Money laundering methods included purchasing real estate and using relatives' names to obscure the flow of funds. Authorities seized approximately $11 million in assets, including cash, real estate, vehicles, and about $3 million worth of cryptocurrency, and also apprehended two co-defendants. The suspect faces charges of document forgery and money laundering.

According to DL News, several "revenge intermediary" organizations in South Korea that use cryptocurrency as a payment method have been active recently. These organizations take orders via Telegram, providing services such as intimidation, assaults, and even murders disguised as accidents, requiring clients to pay a 50% deposit in USDT, and promising to send action videos recorded by body cameras via Telegram.Although the main suspect was arrested on April 3, related online advertisements continued to be published on April 13. The South Korean police have launched investigations into over 50 related cases this year, arresting about 30 people, and determining that all cases involve cryptocurrency payments.

A 27-year-old German hacker, Noah Christopher, was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, facing up to 74 arrest warrants for cyber crimes in Europe.Investigations show that this individual is suspected of developing and operating a ransomware platform and a "cybercrime-as-a-service" (CaaS) system between 2021 and 2025, including providing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack tools (such as Fluxstress and Neldowner), assisting global clients in launching cyber attacks and charging fees, with related ransom payments involving cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, constituting transnational cybercrime activities. His visa has been revoked, and he is currently detained awaiting extradition to Germany.

Brazilian President Lula has signed Law No. 15,358, which explicitly incorporates seized cryptocurrency assets during law enforcement into the public safety funding system for expenditures such as police equipment, intelligence operations, and personnel training.The law allows for the temporary use of relevant cryptocurrency assets prior to final conviction with court approval. The new regulations also significantly expand the powers of judicial authorities, allowing them to freeze, block, or confiscate cryptocurrency assets during the investigation phase, including restricting access to exchange accounts, digital wallets, and related platforms. Once convicted, the individuals involved will be permanently deprived of the ability to use the formal financial system and cryptocurrency systems. Additionally, the law categorizes the use of encrypted communication tools or privacy technologies to conceal criminal activities as an aggravating circumstance, promotes cross-border asset recovery and intelligence sharing, and establishes a national database to integrate the financial structures of criminal organizations. Analysts believe that this initiative marks Brazil's shift of cryptocurrency assets from potential reserve tools to law enforcement resources, strengthening the crackdown on organized crime (such as PCC and Comando Vermelho) while advancing the judicial system's regulatory and disposal capabilities regarding digital assets.

According to CoinDesk, blockchain analytics company TRM Labs has launched an AI agent tool for law enforcement agencies, embedded in its TRM Forensics service, which can convert natural language instructions into complex investigative operations, helping investigators track illegal cryptocurrency transactions.Users do not need to have a high technical threshold to query fund flow information, speeding up the pursuit of criminals.

According to CriptoNoticias, the National Anti-Drug Secretariat of Paraguay (Senad) held a seminar titled "Dismantling Criminal and Terrorist Financial Networks" at the Sheraton Hotel in Asunción in collaboration with the American Bar Association's Rule of Law Initiative and the Higher Institute of the Prosecutor's Office. The aim was to enhance the technical capabilities of law enforcement personnel in identifying and combating criminal organizations that use Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies for money concealment.The seminar focused on analyzing the trend of transnational criminal networks in the tri-border area moving towards digitalization and involved the "Trapiche Operation" case related to financing networks associated with Hezbollah. General Mirko Sokol, the Commander of the Bolivian Police, revealed at the meeting that after the arrest of Uruguayan drug lord Sebastián Marset, no large amounts of cash were found at his residence, and related transactions were primarily conducted through cryptocurrencies.The Paraguayan Tax Authority (DNIT) issued Resolution No. 47/26 on March 11, requiring cryptocurrency trading platforms to report detailed information on each transaction, including wallet addresses, the networks used, and transaction hash values.

According to DL News, the Ertzaintza police in Spain's Basque Country stated that cryptocurrency-related crimes in the region are on the rise, with a total of 541 related cases investigated in 2025, which are still under investigation.The police have been equipped with specialized tools to monitor cryptocurrency transactions across multiple blockchain networks and have formed a cybercrime department consisting of 26 detectives dedicated to combating crimes such as crypto fraud and hacking. The cases under investigation include 13 suspected cases of crypto fraud, 2 suspected cases of crypto money laundering, as well as tax evasion and illegal purchases of goods and services.The police warned that scammers impersonate friends and family on social media platforms like Instagram to provide investment advice, tricking victims into installing applications that allow remote control, thereby stealing cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts.

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin posted on the X platform, proposing a tool to enhance personal security and provide low-cost protection for civil liberties, which is that everyone should have an easy and "deniable" way to report emergencies.For example, by pre-setting a few secret words, when a watch, phone, or home device hears these words, it automatically dials 911 silently and transmits the location to the police in real-time. This is particularly effective for cryptocurrency holders who are concerned about being kidnapped or robbed.Vitalik stated that if the environment can ensure that there is at least a 20% chance the police will arrive immediately when a robbery occurs, and the robber cannot detect whether the alarm has been triggered, then such crimes will become unfeasible due to the high risk involved. Since this feature requires the victim to take action for it to operate, the risk of it being misused by the government for mass surveillance is relatively low.

The Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ying Yong, delivered the work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress, in which he pointed out to strengthen anti-money laundering efforts, prosecuting 3,259 individuals for money laundering crimes using virtual currencies and underground banks. He also emphasized the legal punishment of telecom and internet fraud crimes, prosecuting 69,000 individuals.

According to CCTV News, the second plenary session of the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress was held today at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where Zhang Jun, President of the Supreme People's Court, delivered the work report of the Supreme People's Court.The report shows that in the past five years, 9,326 cases of crimes endangering cybersecurity were concluded, involving 22,000 people, an increase of 158.5% (in terms of case numbers) compared to the previous five years. The law has been used to punish crimes such as online rumors, online pyramid schemes, and online violence, promoting comprehensive governance of cybersecurity. Two young individuals maliciously "doxxed" others, illegally obtaining and disseminating personal privacy information, and were convicted and sentenced according to the law. Strict penalties have been imposed for crimes involving money laundering and illegal foreign exchange using virtual currencies, working together to prevent illegal cross-border capital transfers. It is clarified that drivers who activate assisted driving functions after drinking should still bear criminal responsibility, and technological applications must adhere to legal boundaries.

According to Cointelegraph, the FBI, Europol, and law enforcement agencies from 14 countries conducted a joint operation on March 3-4, successfully shutting down the cybercrime forum LeakBase. The forum had over 142,000 members and served as a platform for hackers to buy and sell stolen data and cybercrime tools.Law enforcement has seized user accounts, posts, credit details, private information, and IP logs as evidence, and executed search warrants and arrests in multiple countries. Notably, LeakBase's predecessor, Raidforums, was shut down in 2022 and had hosted leaked data containing personal information of approximately 272,000 users of the cryptocurrency wallet company Ledger. In recent years, data breaches in the cryptocurrency industry have continued to rise, including security incidents such as the hacking of Coinbase's internal systems.

According to the Shanghai Securities Journal, Wang Bin, the head of the Third Criminal Division of the Supreme People's Court, stated at a press conference on "The People's Court's Work on Punishing Telecom and Network Fraud and Property Crimes According to Law" that the next step will focus on cracking down on key figures and core members of criminal groups, "financial backers" of telecom fraud, "snakeheads" organizing illegal immigration, and organizations providing armed protection for cross-border fraud crimes, as well as violent crimes such as intentional homicide, intentional injury, and kidnapping committed during telecom fraud, and related crimes such as "money laundering" using virtual currencies and underground banks.Wang Bin also stated that the people's courts will legally strengthen the application of property penalties against telecom fraud criminals, preventing them from benefiting economically. They will guide those involved in "two-card" assistance and concealment of criminals to voluntarily compensate victims, consider the return of stolen goods and compensation as mitigating factors in sentencing for confession and remorse, and impose strict penalties according to law on criminals who have the ability but refuse to return stolen goods or compensate victims.

The Ministry of Public Security has announced that it has drafted the "Cyber Crime Prevention Law (Draft for Comments)" and is now publicly soliciting opinions from society, with the deadline for feedback set for March 2, 2026. The content includes: no individual or organization shall knowingly harbor, transfer, acquire, sell on behalf of others, or conceal or disguise funds, data, or virtual property obtained from others' online illegal activities.No individual or organization shall knowingly use funds obtained from others' illegal activities to provide capital flow services using virtual currency or other online virtual property for others.

According to China News Service, Hong Kong hosted the annual meeting of the International Criminal Police Organization's Cybercrime Expert Group for the first time. The meeting covered various topics including online extortion, artificial intelligence, and virtual asset tracking. Chief Superintendent Chow Man-ming of the Hong Kong Police Force noted the emerging trends in crimes related to virtual assets and established a virtual asset intelligence task force last year as a public-private partnership to jointly address technological challenges.The Hong Kong police have also developed a virtual asset tracking system that visualizes the virtual asset investigation process and fully supports investigators.