Europol dismantles crypto service with € 1.3 billion in illicit trafficking

Europol, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies in Switzerland and Germany, has shut down Cryptomixer. io, a crypto service that, according to investigators, laundered funds for cybercrime groups. During the operation, more than 12 terabytes of data and about € 25 million ($ 29.05 million) in bitcoins were seized. The platform allegedly processed a total of more than € 1.3 billion ($ 1.627 billion) in cryptocurrency.

Cryptomixer.io has been operating since 2016 and offered users to anonymize crypto transactions by mixing deposits from different clients. Europol reported that the service’s software allowed blocking the tracking of the origin of funds in the blockchain, which was used by criminals, including drug traffickers, arms dealers, ransomware developers, and bank card fraudsters.

According to Europol's description, users' funds were pooled for a certain period of time and then randomly distributed to other addresses. This method made it impossible to trace the path of individual coins and effectively concealed their origin. The criminals used these «cleansed» assets for further transfers to crypto exchanges or exchange for fiat currencies through bank accounts and cryptomat.

The operation to dismantle Cryptomixer. io also included the seizure of the service’s domain and the installation of an arrest banner on its website. Europol emphasized that such services pose a serious threat to the EU’s financial security, as they contribute to the spread of cybercrime and complicate the fight against money laundering.

The agency urged cryptocurrency users to be vigilant and avoid services that promise complete anonymity without meeting financial monitoring requirements. The investigation into Cryptomixer. io is ongoing, and the seized data, according to Europol, may form the basis for further international criminal cases.