According to a recent report by Chainalysis, the use of cryptocurrencies in schemes related to human trafficking surged sharply in 2025. The volume of digital assets passing through suspicious networks increased by 85% compared to the previous year, with the majority of transactions conducted using stablecoins and through services in the messaging app Telegram.
This is reported by Finway
Cryptocurrencies in Human Trafficking Schemes: Geography and Tools
The study indicates that hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies flow through networks, a significant portion of which is concentrated in Southeast Asian countries. Chainalysis experts link these platforms to fraudulent schemes, online casinos, and Chinese money laundering organizations. Researchers pay particular attention to channels on Telegram, where cryptocurrencies are used for payments for international escort services, as well as in structures related to forced labor and sexual exploitation.
According to the report, different market segments choose different tools for transactions. In particular, international escort services and prostitution networks have almost entirely switched to stablecoins, allowing for fast and inexpensive cross-border payments.
Blockchain as a Tool for Combating Crimes
Analysts emphasize that the transparency of blockchain opens new opportunities for law enforcement agencies. Tracking repeated transactions, clustering wallets, and analyzing stablecoin conversion patterns help identify key nodes of criminal infrastructure and points of interaction with cryptocurrency exchanges.
“The public nature of blockchain provides law enforcement with new opportunities. Tracking repeated payments, wallet clusters, and stablecoin conversion patterns allows for the identification of infrastructure nodes and points of interaction with crypto exchanges.”
Chainalysis particularly notes that unlike cash, all transactions on the blockchain leave a digital trace. This significantly facilitates investigations and collaboration with regulators, especially during the monitoring of significant regular transfers or the identification of suspicious services.
In 2025, law enforcement achieved several important results thanks to blockchain analytics. For example, German authorities managed to shut down a platform for the sexual exploitation of children precisely due to blockchain data analysis and tracking cryptocurrency transactions.
Previously, Chainalysis reported that in 2025, cryptocurrency scammers stole a record $17 billion.