Crime and Crypto

There’s quite nothing like diving into a new subject matter. Few weeks back I thought of the intersection between crypto and crime, and realized that there are quite a few gaps in my knowledge that need to be addressed.

I am yet to link the ideas on the above subject, and will do so as soon as I finish reading a number of books, reports, and reputable investigative works.

Here’s what I learnt so far from the Crypto Launderers:

Role of the law enforcement
From Silk Road to billion-dollar seizures, investigators have learned how to follow the money on-chain.

Blockchain isn’t a criminal's dream anymore - it's often a cop’s best friend.

Unregulated exchanges are still crypto’s biggest risk
Centralized platforms with weak (or no) controls remain the primary off-ramps for illicit funds.

While regulators like FinCEN and the FATF have made progress, enforcement remains uneven globally. Rogue exchanges are still slipping through.

DeFi makes laundering harder to regulate - but easier to trace
As regulation tightened, criminals moved to decentralized finance (DeFi).

No central operators. No KYC. Just code. And mixers like Tornado Cash made tracing harder.

But here’s the twist: DeFi is also more transparent than centralized platforms.

Every transaction is on-chain. Law enforcement is starting to follow the breadcrumbs.

It’s messy. But it’s not opaque.

I look forward to finishing the book, as well as few other sources to have a more complete picture of this subject. Thanks for reading!