International operation traces $55 million crypto trail of digital piracy sites
Investigators in an international operation were able to glean information about the criminal networks behind illicit streaming sites by using cryptocurrency to pay for platform services, Europol said Wednesday.
Thirty investigators from 15 countries took part in the five-day crackdown earlier this month targeting 69 digital piracy sites, including 25 illegal streaming services whose information was referred to cryptocurrency platforms for disruption.
The operation attempted to beat the bad actors at their own game: by using cryptocurrency to buy access to pirated materials in order to gain a window into their financial infrastructure. They were able to trace about $55 million in cryptocurrency through accounts associated with the…
