Yes, money laundering directly affects the world of cryptocurrencies.
Let me explain: cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others, offer some characteristics that can be exploited for laundering illicit money:
Pseudonymity: You do not need to use your real name in many transactions.
Fast and global transactions: You can move funds across borders almost instantly.
Difficulty in tracking: Although blockchains are public, identifying the real owner of a wallet is not always straightforward.
This has led people involved in illegal activities (such as drug trafficking, corruption, or cybercrimes) to use cryptocurrencies to "clean" their money, that is, to hide its illicit origin and make it appear legal.
For this reason, many countries have started to demand:
Regulation of exchanges (platforms for buying/selling cryptocurrencies).
KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) procedures.
Monitoring of suspicious operations.
In summary: cryptocurrencies are not bad in themselves, but their misuse in money laundering is a significant challenge for financial regulators today.
