Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has released a new report highlighting a sharp escalation in crypto-based money laundering, warning that Chinese-language money laundering networks are emerging as one of the most serious and rapidly growing threats in the digital asset ecosystem.<\/p>\n
According to the report<\/a>, illicit on\u2011chain money laundering activity has expanded dramatically over the past five years. In 2020, crypto-related laundering was estimated to be around $10 billion. By 2025, that figure had climbed to more than $82 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n A key driver behind this growth has been the rapid rise of Chinese\u2011language money laundering networks, often referred to as CMLNs. In 2025, these networks accounted for roughly 20% of all identified illicit crypto laundering activity on\u2011chain.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chainalysis noted that this regional concentration is further supported by off\u2011ramping behavior observed on the blockchain<\/a>. As detailed in the report, CMLNs now routinely launder more than 10% of funds stolen through so\u2011called \u201cpig butchering\u201d scams.\u00a0<\/p>\n The pace at which these networks have grown stands out even within the broader crypto crime landscape. Since 2020, inflows to identified CMLNs have increased 7,325 times faster than those to centralized exchanges (CEXs).\u00a0<\/p>\n Growth has also outstripped other laundering channels, expanding 1,810 times faster than decentralized finance<\/a> (DeFi) platforms and 2,190 times faster than illicit on\u2011chain flows that remain within criminal ecosystems.\u00a0<\/p>\n While CMLNs are not the only actors involved in crypto laundering, Chainalysis found that Chinese\u2011language, Telegram\u2011based services now represent a disproportionately large share of attributed global laundering activity.<\/p>\n The report also shows that CMLNs function openly across multiple platforms and rely on complex, multi\u2011layered systems. Their operations are characterized by industrial\u2011level processing capacity and a high degree of technical sophistication.<\/p>\n In 2025 alone, Chainalysis identified six distinct service types that together form the CMLN ecosystem<\/a>. Combined, these services processed $16.1 billion in illicit inflows during the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The number of active entities within these networks has also grown rapidly, expanding from a small number of wallets just a few years ago to more than 1,799 active on\u2011chain wallets in 2025.<\/p>\n Tom Keatinge, Director at the Centre for Finance & Security at the Royal United Services Institute, said the speed and scale of these networks are the result of converging global forces.\u00a0<\/p>\nCross\u2011Border Crime At Scale<\/h2>\n