Is cryptocurrency a crime?

Crypto.com shared new details about a recent hack on its platform last weekend in a statement on its website today, saying 483 of its users were affected and that unauthorized withdrawals of over $15 million worth of ETH, $19 million worth of BTC and $66,200 in “other currencies” occurred.

There are two main ways criminals obtain cryptocurrency: stealing it directly, or using a scheme to trick people into handing it over . In 2021, crypto criminals directly stole a record US$3.2 billion (A$4.48 billion) worth of cryptocurrency, according to Chainalysis. That’s a fivefold increase from 2020.

According to Chainalysis, a record $14 billion in crypto was stolen in 2021, mainly through DeFi or decentralized-finance trading platforms. But major exchanges also have been hacked, including the infamous Mt. Gox in 2014, which lost more than 850,000 Bitcoins, worth $450 million at the time.