You Won’t Believe What’s Happening with Stablecoins and Illicit Networks!

So, TRM Labs has done it again-apparently, stablecoin volumes have hit over $1 trillion a month in 2025. You heard that right! And guess what? The shady stuff is really piling up. Surprise, surprise!

TRM Labs decided to publish an analysis-because who doesn’t want to read about numbers that make your head spin? They found that these stablecoins were flowing like water, with the bad guys raking in a cool $141 billion through stablecoin wallets. And let’s not forget that $72 billion linked to the infamous A7A5 token. Sounds fancy, right? It’s like a VIP pass to the world of sanctions-related shenanigans, which accounted for 86% of all illicit crypto flows. Who knew crime could be so profitable?

The report also spills the beans on networks like A7 and those clever front-company exchanges like Zedcex and Zedxion. Apparently, they’ve got a talent for using stablecoins to dodge sanctions and launder money. Is there a class for this? Because I might want to enroll!

Now, TRM finds that the adoption of stablecoins is like a party-everyone’s invited, but some guests are way more questionable than others. It’s practically a full house for illicit goods and laundering networks, while scams and fraud have to wait in line. And who are the main players? Oh, just your friendly neighborhood facilitators-guarantee services, OTC intermediaries, and our lovely front-company exchanges. Those guys are apparently the crème de la crème of illicit stablecoin risk. How charming!

This analysis pretty much tells us that stablecoins are now the core payment infrastructure, so we better keep an eye on this circus. Let’s hope the regulators are taking notes!

🧭 FAQs

What monthly volume milestone did TRM report for stablecoins in 2025? Oh, just a casual $1 trillion every month.
How much illicit activity involved stablecoins in 2025? About $141 billion-just a little pocket change for the criminals, I guess.
Which illicit activity type dominated stablecoin flows? Sanctions-related activity, obviously. It’s the new black, making up 86% of the total.
Which intermediaries are most associated with illicit stablecoin risk? Just your usual suspects: guarantee services, OTC intermediaries, and front-company exchanges. Nothing suspicious about that!

Read More

2026-02-18 16:37