Brazil Crypto Seizures Skyrocket 600% to $14 Million in 2025

Brazil Crypto Seizures Skyrocket 600% to $14 Million in 2025 Brazil Registers Large Rise In Illegal Cryptocurrency Seizures Brazil, one of the largest cryptocurrency economies in the world, has tightened its oversight on cryptocurrency crime, resulting in large volumes of digital assets used for illegal purposes being seized. According to data collected by Valor Econômico, over 71 million reais (nearly $14 million) in cryptocurrency was seized in connection with crimes, a 6x increase over the numbers recorded in 2024. Two high-profile cases surfaced last year, with the Federal Police seizing bitcoins and dollar-pegged stablecoins in both. The first one is related to a hack that targeted a banking middleware system and used Pix and cryptocurrencies as an exit rail for part of the $180 million syphoned. The second case tackled an organization that laundered hundreds of millions linked to the Brazilians so-called Bitcoin Pharaoh, Glaidson Acácio dos Santo, who operated one of the largest cryptocurrency ponzi schemes in Brazil through Gas Consultoria, a cryptocurrency investment platform. Other criminal groups have also been reported to use cryptocurrency for money laundering, including the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and the Comando Vermelho (CV). Crypto's main use case for these groups is to send remittances on alternative digital networks, obfuscating the funds' origins from Brazilian authorities. Nonetheless, even as the number has risen dramatically, it is still relatively low, as Brazil registered volumes of 505 billion reais ($100 billion) during the same period, with no benchmark to determine what portion of these is also used with criminal means. Chainalysis commercial director Drey Dias stated that the Brazilian system still faces challenges linked to investigations on digital assets, which results in problems when flagging wallets in these cases. "The secrecy surrounding investigations on the subject also hinders this work," he concluded.According to local media, the use of cryptocurrency for illicit purposes has skyrocketed in Brazil, with criminal groups leveraging it for money laundering purposes. The number reached 71 million reais (nearly $14 million) of 505 billion reais ($100 billion) that circulated in Brazil in 2025. Brazil Registers Large Rise In Illegal Cryptocurrency Seizures Brazil, one […]