Chainalysis: criminal crypto transactions amounted to $ 41 billion in 2024

Over the past 2024, the volume of illegal cryptocurrency transactions amounted to $ 40.9 billion, which is only 0.14% of the total volume of all transactions on the network. This was stated by Chainalysis analysts in their report. Despite the relatively small share, experts predict that this figure could grow to $ 51 billion after the data is updated.

63% of illegal transactions last year were accounted for by stablecoins, which demonstrates a 77% year-on-year increase in the use of this asset class. There is also an increase in the use of bitcoin and Monero in certain segments of criminal activity.

The largest volume of thefts is associated with hacker attacks, in particular by criminals from North Korea, who stole $ 1.34 billion in 2024. The main targets of hackers are DeFi protocols and centralized exchanges. Among the most successful fraudulent schemes are highly profitable investment projects and phishing attacks that increasingly use artificial intelligence.

Despite the decline in the number of transactions in the darknet markets, their volume remained significant — $ 2 billion. The partial decrease is explained by the closure of large illegal platforms, such as the Universal Anonymous Payment System.

The report emphasizes that cybercriminals are improving their methods, and therefore countermeasures need to be further developed. The use of new technologies, such as Chainalysis Signals, can help to identify suspicious addresses more effectively and reduce the scale of illegal transactions.