Cryptocurrency is increasingly being used by global human trafficking networks, with payments tied to the crime jumping 85% in 2025, according to a new report. Investigators say organized groups are using messaging apps and stablecoins to recruit victims, run scam compounds and sell illicit services across continents — turning crypto into a fast-growing tool for exploitation.
WEBDESK – Act Global Media
Cryptocurrency is rapidly becoming a key financial tool for human trafficking syndicates worldwide, with blockchain data revealing a sharp rise in illicit payments and increasingly organized criminal operations, according to a new report by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
The study found crypto transactions linked to suspected trafficking networks surged 85% in 2025, reaching hundreds of millions of dollars in value across public blockchains. While many of the operations were physically based in Southeast Asia, customers sending payments originated from the Americas, Europe, and Australia, highlighting the global reach of the networks.
Organized criminal ecosystem expanding
Researchers said trafficking-related crypto activity largely falls into three categories:
-
International escort and prostitution services
-
Labor recruitment into scam compounds
-
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) marketplaces
Criminal groups are increasingly operating like professional businesses, using messaging apps — especially Telegram — to advertise services, recruit victims, and coordinate payments.
Analysts noted a migration away from dark-web forums toward semi-open messaging ecosystems, allowing traffickers to scale operations and move money globally with far less friction.
Despite its criminal use, investigators say blockchain transparency also helps authorities trace financial flows and disrupt networks.
Escort services and prostitution rings
Chainalysis detected highly organized payment patterns indicating coordinated networks rather than isolated actors.
-
Nearly half of high-value transfers exceeded $10,000
-
“VIP companionship packages” were advertised for over $30,000
-
Stablecoins and Chinese-language laundering groups were commonly used to cash out
Smaller prostitution-related payments typically ranged between $1,000 and $10,000, but still showed structured behavior consistent with organized groups.
Scam compounds recruiting victims
Another major trafficking channel involved so-called “labor placement agents” recruiting workers, mainly to Southeast Asian scam compounds.
Victims were promised legitimate jobs such as customer service or data entry in countries including Cambodia and Myanmar. After arrival, many were allegedly forced into online fraud operations such as romance scams and fake crypto investment schemes.
Recruitment fees often matched Telegram advertisements, typically between $1,000 and $10,000 paid in cryptocurrency. Investigators also found links between recruitment wallets, illegal gambling operations, and money-laundering services.
Child exploitation networks
The report also identified organized crypto payments linked to child sexual abuse material marketplaces.
-
About half of the transactions were under $100, reflecting subscription models
-
Funds frequently moved into privacy coins like Monero
-
Encrypted file-sharing and private chat groups were widely used
Researchers observed connections between these services and online sextortion communities targeting minors.
Growing problem despite enforcement
Law-enforcement agencies have begun dismantling some scam centers — including a major Cambodian operation tied to billions in bitcoin, but analysts warn the broader trafficking ecosystem is adapting quickly.
Chainalysis said the financial scale is massive, but the human harm is far greater.
Experts expect crypto-linked trafficking activity to continue expanding as digital currencies become more widely adopted, even as tracking tools improve and crackdowns intensify.
