CrimsonVector — Sanctions Evasion https://crimsonvector.com Investigations into sanctions evasion and shadow finance infrastructure. en-us Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT From Ransom Note to Binance: Tracing a 3-Year Elasticsearch Extortion Operation Across Two Blockchains https://crimsonvector.com/research/ransomnote-blockchain-trace-2026/ https://crimsonvector.com/research/ransomnote-blockchain-trace-2026/ Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT A single Bitcoin address from an automated database ransom attack is traced through 14 investigative phases across Bitcoin and Ethereum, uncovering a 3-year criminal operation with 307 victim-facing multisig wallets, cross-chain laundering via Polygon, and a Binance-centric circular financial loop processing 107+ BTC. dparra@crimsonvector.com (Diego Parra) sanctions-evasion Crypto Underground: State-Enabled Financial Crime in the Digital Age https://crimsonvector.com/research/crypto-underground-2026/ https://crimsonvector.com/research/crypto-underground-2026/ Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT How cryptocurrency, underground banking, and state-sponsored illicit finance converge — from Russia's crypto laundromats and Chinese money brokers laundering for North Korea, to an FSB spy paid in Bitcoin and a U.S.-based crypto firm funneling $530 million for sanctioned Russian banks. dparra@crimsonvector.com (Diego Parra) sanctions-evasion