DOJ Shifts Crypto Enforcement Focus To Large-Scale Fraud Operations
The US Department of Justice has recalibrated its cryptocurrency enforcement strategy, targeting systemic fraud rather than isolated scams. Prosecutors charged 265 defendants in 2025, recovering $16 billion in digital assets tied to Medicare fraud, investment schemes, and money laundering operations.
Asset recovery now takes precedence over market speculation cases. The DOJ treats cryptocurrencies as cash equivalents in financial crimes, reflecting their entrenched role in illicit finance. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a new vector for crypto scams, prompting coordinated regulatory responses.
This enforcement shift mirrors blockchain's maturation from niche technology to financial infrastructure. While prosecutions doubled year-over-year, the focus remains on dismantling criminal networks rather than policing price movements.
