MONEY LAUNDERING IN VIRTUAL CURRENCIES: RISKS AND REGULATION

This article is devoted to the study of the scale and mechanisms of laundering crime proceeds using virtual currencies, primarily cryptocurrencies, in the context of rapid digitalization of the global economy and transformation of financial flows.
The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal, technological and institutional risks arising from the use of cryptocurrencies in illegal activities, including schemes for legalization of funds derived from drug trafficking, cybercrime, extortion, sanctions circumvention and terrorist financing.
Special attention is paid to key features of virtual assets, such as decentralization, transaction pseudonymity and technical possibilities to conceal the origin of assets – through mixers, anonymous cryptocurrencies, DeFi protocols and NFT.
The role of analytical platforms in de-anonymizing suspicious transactions and the need for institutional training of investigators, prosecutors and analysts are emphasized. It is concluded that there is a need for a comprehensive transformation of approaches to financial monitoring, including legal updating, technical reequipment and international coordination of efforts. Recommendations are offered to establish national cryptotransaction analysis centers, strengthen cooperation with global regulators, certify blockchain experts, and standardize the procedural treatment of digital evidence.

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