Cryptocurrency and crime

Cryptocurrency and crime describes how criminals use cryptocurrencies or target them for criminal purposes. This includes investment and romance scams, ransomware payments, thefts and exchange hacks, money laundering and sanctions evasion, darknet-market transactions, and off-chain coercion to obtain private keys. Law enforcement notes that investment fraud and laundering are frequent criminal uses of cryptocurrencies, while noting that public blockchains can also aid law inforcement in tracing, seizures, and arrests.