Binance has launched an ambitious global training initiative to create a new generation of “crypto cops” capable of combating the explosive surge in Web3 crime.
This law enforcement training program is led by Binance’s Head of Law Enforcement Training, Jarek Jakubcek, with recent training sessions held in Thailand and South Korea. This particularly came at a time when Blockchain security data reveals 2024 as potentially the worst year for crypto-related criminal activity in history, with over $3 billion in annual losses.
vThese include ransomware attacks demanding millions in payments, large-scale pig butchering scams that drained $3.6 billion from investors in 2024, and state-backed hacking groups.
However, Binance’s Financial Intelligence Unit recently reported that illicit transactions account for less than 1% of total crypto volumes, despite criminals becoming increasingly sophisticated.
Traditional policing operates within jurisdictional boundaries, relying on physical evidence and legal procedures designed for offline crimes. The Web3 ecosystem is a natively online, decentralized environment where criminals exploit pseudonymity and cross-border operations.
The fundamental challenge facing law enforcement in Web3 stems from incompatible operational frameworks that must reconcile to combat sophisticated criminal enterprises.
Binance ‘Crypto Cops’: Traditional Law Enforcement Meets Borderless Digital Crime
Recent training initiatives in Thailand, in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Law Enforcement Day, brought together 18 speakers and officers from seven countries. The program focused on public safety, trust-building, and cross-border cooperation in Web3 security.
The North Korean Lazarus Group alone accounted for 94% of total losses through sophisticated attacks on battle-tested platforms like Phemex and Bybit. These state-backed actors represent arguably the most pressing threat to the crypto industry.
The scale of this challenge becomes apparent when examining recent crime statistics. Q1 2025 marked the worst quarter for crypto hacks in the ecosystem’s history, as criminals stole $1.64 billion across just 39 incidents.
Criminal networks now leverage artificial intelligence, cross-chain protocols, and automated laundering strategies to evade traditional security measures. vBinance’s Financial Intelligence Unit head, Nils Andersen-Röed, revealed that criminals have evolved beyond simple darknet transactions into organized global operations.
The sophistication of contemporary crypto crime has compelled exchanges and law enforcement to develop increasingly sophisticated detection methodologies.
These operations increasingly utilize AI-powered tools to create deepfake videos of company executives and highly targeted phishing campaigns.
The recent Christian Nieves Coinbase phishing scheme illustrates this perfectly. The New York-based criminal used a professional impersonation of “Coinbase Support” to trick over 30 customers into transferring $4 million.
Large-scale criminal networks operate across borders and maintain connections to human trafficking rings where individuals are forced into fraudulent labor.