Cryptocurrency mixing services have become the most popular tool for hackers

The amount of cryptocurrencies sent to mixing services by cybercriminals and sanctioned states doubled in 2022.

According to a Chainalysis report, 23% of digital assets sent to mixers were illegally obtained, compared to 12% in 2021. The privacy of cryptocurrency mixing services makes them «attractive» to fraudsters (most servers never require KYC).

According to analysts, in 2022, mixers received more cryptocurrency than ever before. However, representatives of Chainalysis emphasized that cryptocurrency mixers will soon become obsolete, as methods of tracking transactions on blockchains are constantly improving.

As a reminder, one of the most popular mixers among crypto criminals is the Tornado Cash service. For example, North Korean hackers from the Lazarus Group regularly launder funds through Tornado Cash: according to the FBI, it was Lazarus that stole $ 625 million from the popular Axie Infinity game and withdrew this money through Tornado Cash, and funds stolen from the Harmony blockchain were also laundered using this scheme.