Brazil Seizes $14M in Crypto as Illicit Use Jumps 600%

Brazil’s Federal Police seized about 71 million reais (roughly $14 million) in cryptocurrency in 2025 during investigations into money laundering, authorities reported. The total represents a 600% increase from seizures recorded in 2024.

Two high-profile probes accounted for a large share of the seized assets. One investigation traced part of a $180 million theft from a banking system to transfers that used the Pix instant-payment network and cryptocurrencies to move funds. The other targeted the network around Glaidson Acácio dos Santo and his company Gas Consultoria, which operated a large cryptocurrency investment fraud; police recovered both bitcoin and dollar-pegged stablecoins linked to that scheme.

Federal Police described the methods used to convert and move stolen funds as involving multiple wallets and platforms. Investigators used exchange freezes, blockchain tracing and cooperation with domestic banks to locate and secure assets tied to the cases.

Authorities identified organized crime groups, including Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), as among those using virtual assets to transfer money across borders and to obscure the origin of funds. Law enforcement said stablecoins and bitcoin have been prominent tools in these transfers.

Market figures show the seized amount is small compared with overall crypto activity in Brazil. Analysts estimate about 505 billion reais, or roughly $100 billion, circulated in the country during the same period, meaning the 71 million reais in seizures accounted for a tiny fraction of total activity.

Drey Dias, commercial director at Chainalysis, noted gaps in Brazil’s capacity to investigate complex digital-asset flows and added that secrecy around some probes limits the ability to identify wallets involved in laundering.

Regulatory changes introduced last year aim to strengthen oversight of the sector. The Central Bank of Brazil issued Resolution BCB 520, which set tighter anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing requirements for virtual asset service providers, including new compliance and reporting standards for exchanges and other intermediaries.

Prosecutors and federal investigators said they will continue cross-jurisdictional work and seek cooperation from crypto platforms to freeze suspect funds. Officials also noted that tracing layered transactions and obtaining transparent records from some providers remain operational challenges for ongoing cases.