If you’re a law-abiding citizen of the United States, you may be wondering whether or not the use of Bitcoin for illegal purposes is legitimate. The question is one that’s been on the minds of some scholars and government officials alike.
One of the most common uses of Bitcoin is on the dark web. This is the shadowy part of the Internet, where criminals, gangs, and other bad actors go to avoid detection by law enforcement.
The dark web is a marketplace where bad actors download software and send phishing emails in an effort to target individuals. The most popular con is ransomware. But some of the most sinister uses of crypto include extortion cons, human trafficking, drug trafficking, arms sales, and online child pornography.
Some countries have been very suspicious of cryptos. In fact, the State Bank of Vietnam has fined traders for using cryptos, between 150 million VND to 200 million VND, depending on the offense.
However, the amount of money transferred through cryptos is tiny compared to the money that is moved through other methods of money laundering. Even if a transfer is detected, it’s unlikely to be seized.
According to an analysis by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), criminal activity in the virtual currency market is on the decline. A recent study showed that criminal activity in the market amounted to 2.1 percent of all transactions in the first quarter of 2019 worddocx.
On the other hand, a study by a researcher from Australia found that more than half of all crypto transactions were tainted by some form of illegal trade.