TechFlow news — On January 9, according to a Chainalysis report, due to increased national sanctions, the total funds received by illicit cryptocurrency addresses in 2025 reached a record high of $154 billion, a 162% year-on-year increase.
Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis noted in its 2026 Cryptocurrency Crime Report that 2025 saw "unprecedented transaction volumes related to state-linked on-chain activities." Sanctioned Russia launched the ruble-backed A7A5 token in February 2025, which recorded over $93.3 billion in transaction volume within less than a year.
Stablecoins dominated illicit transactions, accounting for 84% of all illicit transaction volumes. Nevertheless, illicit cryptocurrency usage still accounted for less than 1% of all cryptocurrency transaction volumes. In contrast, in traditional financial systems, global criminal proceeds average 3.6% of global GDP.
According to the Global Sanctions Inflation Index, by May 2025, nearly 80,000 entities and individuals worldwide were under sanctions.
