Crypto-linked flows into human trafficking services will increase by 85% by 2025, says Chainalysis

Chainalysis says crypto flows to suspected human trafficking services will increase by 85% by 2025, with stablecoin-heavy Telegram-linked networks leaving traceable trails on the chain.

Cryptocurrency flows to suspect According to new data from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, human trafficking services will increase by 85% to hundreds of millions of dollars by 2025.

Nearly half of transactions related to Telegram-based international escort services exceeded $10,000, the report said. The data points to an increasing professionalization of these networks, while blockchain transparency has emerged as an investigative tool for law enforcement.

Chainalysis tracked four major categories of suspected crypto-facilitated human trafficking activities: Telegram-based international escort services, employment agents linked to scam links, prostitution networks, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) suppliers. The growth corresponds with the expansion of Southeast Asia-based scam links, online gambling operations and Chinese-language money laundering networks, many of which operate through Telegram, the report said.

Blockchain transactions leave permanent traces, unlike cash transactions. Law enforcement investigators use that visibility to map flows, identify chokepoints and disrupt operations, the company reported.

Payment behavior varies per category. According to the data, Telegram-based international escort services and prostitution networks rely heavily on stablecoins. CSAM vendors have historically preferred Bitcoin, although alternative Layer 1 networks are becoming more common. Monero is increasingly being used for money laundering CSAM-related activities. The use of stablecoins suggests that these networks prioritize price stability and rapid off-ramping despite the risk of asset freezes by centralized issuers, the report said.

Transaction size data reveal the structured nature of these operations. Nearly 50% of Telegram-based escort transactions exceed $10,000, prostitution networks cluster in the $1,000 to $10,000 range, and CSAM transactions are trending lower, with many under $100, according to Chainalysis. Large transfers indicate organized, large-scale criminal enterprises rather than isolated actors, the company said.

CSAM-related activities continue to develop. Subscription-based revenue models dominate the sector, with payments typically less than $100 per month, the report found. The data shows greater overlap with sadistic online extremist communities and greater use of instant exchanges and privacy tools.

In one case from 2025, a CSAM site on the dark web used more than 5,800 cryptocurrency addresses and generated more than $530,000 since 2022, surpassing revenues from the 2019 ‘Welcome to Video’ case, according to the report. Geographic analysis shows strategic use of US-based infrastructure, likely due to its scale and perceived legitimacy, Chainalysis said.

Telegram-based escort services show strong financial integration with Chinese-language money laundering networks, guarantee platforms and mainstream exchanges, the data shows. Funds often pass through institutional-quality platforms before being converted into local currency. This creates both scale and vulnerability, as exchanges and warranty services become compliance bottlenecks, according to the company.

Human trafficking linked to scam connections remains closely linked to cryptocurrency. Victims are recruited through fraudulent job advertisements and then coerced into scam operations in Southeast Asia, the report said. Recruitment payments typically range from $1,000 to $10,000, consistent with observed transaction patterns across the chain. Blockchain analysis has linked certain administrator accounts to criminal organizations previously flagged by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, according to Chainalysis.

The data shows large cryptocurrency inflows from the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Spain and Australia. Chinese-language Telegram services operating in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia demonstrate a global payments infrastructure, the report found. Cryptocurrency enables cross-border payment coordination at scale, but it also exposes flow patterns that researchers can analyze, according to Chainalysis.

The company highlighted several red flags, including large recurring payments to labor agents, large flows through guarantee platforms, clusters of stablecoin conversion, cross-border transaction concentration, and wallet overlap between multiple illicit categories.

Blockchain transparency provides measurable, trackable data that law enforcement can use, unlike traditional cash-based systems, the report said.