Chainalysis Exposes Massive Darkweb CSAM Ring’s Cryptocurrency Trail – Here’s What They Found

Blockchain sleuths at Chainalysis just pulled back the curtain on one of the darkest corners of the web—and the crypto payments that kept it running.

The takedown blueprint

Their latest forensic dive reveals how digital assets became the lifeblood for a notorious illegal operation. While regulators obsess over retail investors' meme coin trades, this network moved millions undetected—until now.

Why crypto's transparency wins again

Another case study proving blockchain's dirty little secret: those immutable ledgers make terrible hiding places. The very feature Wall Street fears—permanent public records—just helped dismantle a criminal enterprise. Maybe traditional finance should take notes instead of fighting the future.

Chainalysis, a leading blockchain analysis company, has uncovered the cryptocurrency payments infrastructure of a major child sexual abuse material (CSAM) website operating on the darkweb. This revelation highlights the financial scale and ongoing activity of the site, which has received over $530,000 in cryptocurrency payments through more than 5,800 addresses since July 2022.

Investigation Initiated by UK Law Enforcement

The investigation was sparked by a tip from UK law enforcement, according to Chainalysis. Utilizing on-chain tracing techniques and proprietary software, Chainalysis expanded the investigation, revealing a vast network of illicit activity. The scale of this operation surpasses the infamous 2017 "Welcome to Video" case, previously documented by the company.

Website's Payment and Content Structure

The CSAM website employs multiple paid membership levels and QR codes to facilitate cryptocurrency payments. This structure supports a wide array of illicit content, underscoring the sophisticated nature of its operations. Payments to the network began in July 2022 and were still active as of June 2025, suggesting the site may still be operational.

Collaboration with Law Enforcement and Compliance Teams

Chainalysis has actively shared leads with global law enforcement partners to aid in dismantling the network. The company is committed to supporting investigations into both users and administrators of the site using its Reactor and Data Solutions tools. Compliance teams utilizing Chainalysis products, such as KYT, may notice increased alerts related to exposure from this entity and are encouraged to adjust their alerting thresholds accordingly.

Ongoing Monitoring and Support

Chainalysis continues to monitor fund movements related to this infrastructure and provides updates to its customers and partners. The firm remains dedicated to disrupting online child exploitation and aiding in bringing those responsible to justice. Law enforcement agencies or compliance teams seeking support can reach out through existing Chainalysis support channels.

For further insights, visit the original Chainalysis blog.

• chainalysis
• cryptocurrency
• darkweb
• csam