Stablecoins Now Handle 84% Of Illegal Crypto Activity, Dwarfing Bitcoin
Stablecoins have overtaken Bitcoin as the primary vehicle for cryptocurrency crime, accounting for 84% of all illicit transaction volume in 2025, a shift that coincides with mounting regulatory pressure on digital assets and their expanding role in everyday payments worldwide.
What Happened: Stablecoins Dominate Crime
Chainalysis released its 2026 Crypto Crime Report on Jan. 8, revealing that dollar-pegged tokens now handle the vast majority of illegal cryptocurrency activity.
The data marks a dramatic reversal from 2020, when Bitcoin represented roughly 70% of illicit transactions while stablecoins accounted for just 15%. Today Bitcoin’s share fell to approximately 7%.
Criminal organizations have gravitated toward stablecoins for…
