A new report by TRM Labs reveals a 40% surge in the use of artificial intelligence across cryptocurrency-related crime over the past year, with scams now leveraging AI at a “mature” level. The AI-in-Crime Adoption Index, which measures the integration of AI in illicit activities, climbed to 54 out of 100 in 2026 from 28 in 2024, according to the analysis. Scammers have increasingly adopted AI tools for deepfake fraud, with losses from such scams in the first half of 2026 exceeding those of the entire previous year by 263%.
The report highlights that hacking and ransomware attacks are at an “emerging” stage of AI integration, while narcotics trafficking and darknet markets remain at the “horizon” level. In the first half of 2026, 201 crypto hacks were recorded—double the figure for the same period in 2025. Notably, 75% of losses during this time stemmed from just 4% of incidents, with North Korea-linked groups accounting for $600 million, or 61% of total losses.
Ryan Kirkley, CEO of Global Settlement Network, told the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium 2026 that AI has enabled hackers to scale operations dramatically, stating: “Now I can have an agent that goes after everyone.” Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy and Government Affairs at TRM Labs, noted that AI has amplified existing criminal methods, allowing a single operator to execute attacks previously requiring a team.
The report also cites a case where AI was used to uncover a vulnerability in Zcash, underscoring the dual-use potential of such technology. However, uncertainties remain about the future trajectory of AI’s role in narcotics and darknet markets, as well as its long-term impact on critical infrastructure, which some experts describe as a potential “civilization-level threat.”
Written by Daniel Brooks
Security Desk
