Criminal use of cryptoassets is spreading across the threat landscape as these technologies become more accessible and integrated into global financial systems.

But this pressure is also accelerating innovation and collaboration among those fighting back – across law enforcement, industry, research and policy.

The strength of that combined response was on show at the 10th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptoassets on 15–16 September 2026.

Co-organised by Europol, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Basel Institute on Governance and hosted this year by Luxembourg’s Bureau de gestion des avoirs (BGA), the conference brought 450 specialists from nearly 90 jurisdictions to the European Convention Center Luxembourg. More than 2,000 people registered online.

Iker Lekuona, Director of the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery and co-chair of the conference’s first day, said:

We are proud to help bring together such an impressive community of experienced and emerging experts from the public and private sectors, representing so many countries and backgrounds. The energy was palpable. It will help spread and scale the effective tools and approaches shared here, and drive progress on common standards and innovative models of law enforcement and public-private cooperation.

Innovation on show

Cases presented at the conference illustrated how cryptoassets now feature in cyber attacks, sanctions evasion, terrorist financing, sabotage and political interference. Other sessions exposed the human cost of scams, trafficking and “wrench attacks”, in which criminals use violence to force cryptoasset transfers.

Yet the sessions also showcased new ways in which authorities and their partners are responding.

The hybrid conference – with the second day reserved for public authorities – showcased:

• Advanced tools and techniques for identifying, tracing and seizing illicit cryptoassets, and for dismantling the criminal and money laundering networks behind them.
• Cross-border cooperation that is enabling authorities to identify, freeze and secure cryptoassets before they can be moved beyond reach.
• New public-private partnerships for sharing operational intelligence on active cases, as well as strategic intelligence on emerging threats and indicators that can help others detect similar activity.
• New legal powers, procedures and technologies for securing and managing seized cryptoassets and preserving their value through to final recovery and return to victims or the state.

Several of these advances can benefit cases that do not involve cryptoassets. Network analysis, faster intelligence-sharing and closer coordination between investigators, prosecutors and asset recovery specialists can strengthen wider financial investigations and asset recovery efforts.

Collaboration builds trust

The conference also marked an important step in efforts to develop common baseline standards for blockchain intelligence.

A technical breakout brought together representatives of blockchain analytics providers, law enforcement agencies and research organisations. Participants explored how common terminology, data formats and analytical approaches could make blockchain intelligence more consistent and interoperable.

This matters because investigators, prosecutors, financial institutions, crypto exchanges, regulators and supervisors increasingly rely on the information these tools produce. Clearer standards can support more consistent customer due diligence and more reliable investigative leads. They can also help ensure that evidence can be explained, challenged and tested in court.

A separate breakout led by the Wolfsberg Group examined common problems in suspicious transaction reporting involving cryptoassets. Financial institutions, cryptoasset service providers and public authorities discussed how to make reports more consistent, efficient and useful to investigators.

The sessions demonstrated that collaboration goes beyond individual cases. It also means building shared standards and systems that can strengthen broader efforts against crimes involving crypto.

On the subject of trust and collaboration, H.E. Ambassador Mary Chirwa of Zambia, added in her closing remarks:

Virtual participation greatly expands access, but meeting in person remains essential to building trust. When an urgent cross-border case arises, it helps enormously if the person receiving the call is someone you have already met.

Progress, but no room for complacency

Significant blind spots remain. Criminal methods continue to evolve fast, regulation and enforcement remain uneven, and many authorities still lack the skills, tools or legal powers they need.

But the cases presented on the conference stage and the solutions explored in its breakout rooms showed that authorities and their partners are already adapting their tools and working methods.

The priority now is to scale what works: expand trusted regional and international networks, agree common standards, invest in practical capacity building and make effective models of public-private cooperation easier to replicate.

About the conference

The 10th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptoassets took place on 15–16 September 2026 at the European Convention Center Luxembourg and online.

Three side events on 17 September will deepen the practical discussions:

• A hybrid Cryptoasset Management Roundtable, co-organised by Luxembourg’s BGA and the Basel Institute, will bring together specialist asset management and recovery professionals to share insights and co-develop guidance on the effective management and liquidation of cryptoassets.
• A workshop for African public-sector authorities will see more than 40 practitioners from 18 African countries exchanging cases, typologies and practical approaches with their peers. The workshop is a collaboration of the Basel Institute-led Africa Crypto & Asset Recovery Network and the SecFin Africa project, co-financed by the European Union.
• A parallel Latin America Crypto & Asset Recovery Workshop, co-organised by the Basel Institute and the UK National Crime Agency under its Illicit Finance project, will provide a similar space for around 30 practitioners from 10 countries across Latin America.

Learn more about the conference and access publicly available breakout summaries and recordings at: baselgovernance.org/10crc.

Photos: Neumann Jérôme Photography.