Chainalysis reports 85% rise in trafficking-linked crypto flows in 2025, highlighting Telegram networks, stablecoin usage, and Southeast Asia concentration trends.
Cryptocurrency activity tied to services suspected of human trafficking rose sharply in 2025. Reported transaction volumes grew into the hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. Meanwhile, year over year, the increase was 85%, signaling the escalating financial patterns.
Chainalysis Identifies Expanding Illicit Crypto Ecosystem
The growth is connected to a broader criminal ecosystem, according to Chainalysis. This network comprises scam compounds, gambling platforms and laundering groups. Most suspicious flows were concentrated in Southeast Asia, indicating operational centers in the region.
In the next chapter of our 2026 Crypto Crime Report, we reveal that cryptocurrency flows to suspected human trafficking services grew by 85% between 2024 and 2025. See our complete analysis: https://t.co/YU6U0uMTI4
— Chainalysis (@chainalysis) February 12, 2026
The report mentioned services of “international escort” and “labor brokerage” offered via the Telegram. These groups allegedly coordinate with Chinese language money laundering networks, commonly abbreviated CMLN. Additionally, operations often utilize escrow and guarantee platforms in order to facilitate transactions. Investigators called the activity highly organized and operationally professionalized.
Researchers categorized four suspected crypto-facilitated trafficking activities. These include: escort services, labor placement agents, prostitution networks, and CSAM vendors. Each category showed unique behaviors in payment and the size of transactions. Such segmentation helps compliance teams identify suspicious patterns of blockchain.
Stablecoins became the preferred system of payments in the escort-related networks. These assets offer price stability and more rapid cross-border value transfers. However, centralised issuers still have the power to freeze associated digital wallets. Despite risks, criminal groups seemed to favor the convenience and liquidity of them.
Transaction Patterns Reveal Organized Financial Structures
The data showed significant differences in the distribution of transaction sizes across categories. Nearly 48.8% of transfers with escorts exceeded $10,000 per transaction. This concentration implies organized operations operating on a significant financial scope. Meanwhile, clusters of prostitution networks were mostly clustered in the $1,000 to $10,000 range.
Investigators also examined advertisements for pricing structures in diverse services based on the Telegram network. Some channels advertised tiered rates between several cities in East Asia. Listed fees were within the scope of 3000 to 8000 RMB level. Such standardized pricing results in identifiable blockchain transaction signatures.
CSAM vendors displayed lower but extremely frequent cryptocurrency payment patterns. About half of the transfers recorded were less than $100 per transaction. Analysts attributed this behavior to subscription-based illicit content models. Gears 5: Lower entry costs created more predictable, recurring digital revenue streams.
Authorities further observed worrying overlaps with communities of sadistic online extremism. Law enforcement interruptions caused migration and content mixing across the networks. Harmful material became increasingly common in disturbing “hurtcore” labels.
In July 2025, investigators discovered a major darkweb CSAM platform. The operation used over 5,800 cryptocurrency wallet addresses. Reported revenues were greater than $530,000 since the July 2022 tracking period. Blockchain tracing tools proved to be essential in mapping financial infrastructure.
The report indicated strategic dependence on U.S.-based hosting infrastructure. Experts said this approach is making for a more reliable, scalable, and operationally continuous approach. It may also slow down the detection by hiding itself in legitimate traffic flows. Regulators are keeping an eye on cross-border digital crime trends.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime raised the issue of regional criminal linkages in the past. These networks allegedly act in recruitment, logistics, and laundering activities.
Despite increasing levels of threats, enforcement successes were ongoing throughout investigations in 2025. German authorities took down the “KidFlix” criminal distribution platform. U.S. agencies reported more arrests targeting CSAM consumers.