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Crypto crime hits all-time high as $14bn goes to fraudsters in 2021

DeFi boom leading to new opportunities for crypto crime

Total transaction volume for cryptocurrencies rose to $15.8 trillion last year
Total transaction volume for cryptocurrencies rose to $15.8 trillion last year Photo: Getty Images

Cryptocurrency crime reached a record high in 2021, with $14bn flowing into illicit addresses.

That figure represented a 79% jump from $7.8bn in 2020, according to research by data company Chainalysis.

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