4 Cryptocurrency While the crypto market has experienced severe volatility in the past few years, with many crypto coins and exchanges collapsing, criminals remain keenly interested in using cryptocurrencies. Crypto is particularly appealing to criminals due to: Anonymity: While transactions are recorded on the blockchain, the identities of transaction makers are unknown. Easy storage & transfer: Unlike cash, requires no physical space to store and can be swiftly moved. Borderless: Crypto can be transferred across borders without currency controls, regulations or other barriers. Criminals are using crypto to facilitate fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, terror funding, ransomware attacks and other cybercrimes. The types of crimes and sophistication of techniques are constantly evolving, forcing law enforcement to keep up. Sanctions evaders are bypassing economic regulations by leveraging cryptocurrencies 1 . Criminals are increasingly moving away from Bitcoin and turning to stablecoins, such as USDT and USDC, due to volatility in the crypto market. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that attempt to maintain price stability by keeping reserves of fiat currencies, or through other methods. Impact: Access & speed: Transactions are not processed through traditional financial institutions, and trading can be done easily and cheaply through a wallet app or crypto ATM. In fact, 61.5% of illicit crypto transaction volume in 2023 came from activity associated with sanctioned entities 2 . While Bitcoin was the currency used in 97% of illicit trade volume in 2016, in 2022 it accounted for only 19% 3 , in part due to the move to stablecoins. CHECK OUT THE FULL TECHHORIZON REPORT