Dutch authorities reported a sharp rise in cryptocurrency payments linked to online child sexual abuse material in 2025.

The Dutch Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has reported a significant increase in cryptocurrency payments connected to the online trade of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), highlighting what officials describe as a growing challenge for financial investigators.

The findings were published in the agency’s 2025 annual report and released on June 17. According to the FIU, a larger volume of cryptocurrency transactions linked to the purchase of child sexual abuse images was identified during the year, reflecting both the increasing use of digital assets in criminal activity and improved detection efforts by investigators.

Authorities said part of the increase stems from closer cooperation between blockchain analytics providers and child protection organizations. In 2025, cryptocurrency addresses associated with child sexual abuse material were more aggressively flagged and monitored, resulting in a higher number of suspicious transactions being reported to investigators.

Despite the perception that cryptocurrencies offer complete anonymity, the FIU said blockchain analysis tools have become increasingly effective at tracing transactions tied to criminal activity. The agency noted that information supplied by analytics firms and organizations focused on child protection has strengthened its ability to identify illicit payment networks.

The report also points to a broader rise in the use of cryptocurrencies across criminal markets. FIU officials warned that the growing popularity of digital assets has expanded opportunities for money laundering and other forms of financial crime.

Rebecca van Essen, a sector specialist with the FIU, said the cryptocurrency sector has become more attractive to criminals as adoption has increased among the general public. While many users believe transactions are difficult to trace, law enforcement agencies and regulated crypto service providers now have access to increasingly sophisticated monitoring and investigative tools.

Investigators said international cooperation remains a key challenge. Many suspicious transactions involve crypto service providers operating outside the European Union or in jurisdictions where information-sharing agreements are limited, making it more difficult to identify those behind illicit transfers.

The FIU’s warning comes as European authorities continue implementing stricter oversight of cryptocurrency service providers under new regulatory frameworks designed to strengthen anti-money laundering controls across the region.

Officials stressed that blockchain transactions are not beyond the reach of investigators and said continued cooperation between financial institutions, crypto companies, child protection groups and law enforcement agencies remains essential to disrupting the online trade in child sexual abuse material.

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Dutch FIU Sees Surge in Crypto Payments for CSAM