Seizable Crypto Assets Hit $75 Billion as Criminals Struggle to Cash Out

Criminal wallets now hold nearly $15 billion in seizable crypto assets, with an additional $60 billion sitting in related downstream accounts. This creates a massive opportunity for law enforcement to recover stolen funds.

The October 2025 Chainalysis report reveals that stolen funds make up the largest chunk of illicit crypto holdings. Hackers often can’t move large amounts quickly without triggering alerts.

The recent $1.5 billion Bybit hack by North Korean actors shows this problem clearly. They’re sitting on billions because moving it safely is extremely difficult.

Bitcoin still dominates criminal holdings at 75% of total value. However, criminals are actually holding less bitcoin by volume than they did in 2020. The dollar value looks high only because Bitcoin’s price surged.

Meanwhile, stablecoin and ether holdings keep growing.

How Criminals Are Moving Their Seizable Crypto Assets

Bad actors are getting smarter about avoiding detection. Direct transfers from criminal wallets to exchanges dropped from 40% in 2021-2022 to just 15% by mid-2025. They’re now using mixers and cross-chain bridges to hide their tracks.

The data shows another shift: criminals are cycling through exchange deposit addresses much faster than before.

Back in 2020, up to 46% of illicit deposit addresses were still active one year later. Recent cohorts show dramatically lower reuse rates. This means enforcement has a narrower window to freeze assets.

Different Crimes, Different Timelines

Darknet market vendors control over $40 billion in crypto. These operations run for years, giving investigators more time to build cases. The typical darknet market stays active for 807 to 959 days.

Ransomware attacks work differently. Half of these wallets never receive funds again after the initial attack. The criminals cash out fast and disappear.

Also, asset liquidation speed varies by crypto type. Criminals drain 95% of stablecoins within 90 days of going inactive. They move 87% of ether in the same period.

But Bitcoin? Only 52% get moved in 90 days. Many criminals view bitcoin as a long-term store of value despite its traceability.