Cryptocurrency Flows to Suspected Human Trafficking Services Surge 85% Year-over-Year

Crypto flows to suspected human trafficking services surged 85% in 2025 to hundreds of millions, driven by Telegram-based “international escort” and “labor placement” networks tightly integrated with Chinese-language money laundering and guarantee platforms and primarily using stablecoins, while CSAM markets consolidated around low-cost subscriptions with growing use of Monero and instant exchangers. The report highlights distinctive transaction patterns (e.g., nearly half of escort transfers >$10k), global reach centered on Southeast Asia with significant inflows from the Americas, Europe, and Australia, strategic use of U.S. infrastructure by CSAM operators, notable law enforcement actions, and concrete risk indicators for detection and disruption (cross-border stablecoin flows, guarantee platform activity, clustered wallets across illicit services, and Telegram-linked channels).