Chainalysis: Compliance standards for crypto companies are improving, but gaps remain in indirect monitoring.

On May 28th, Cointelegraph reported that Chainalysis released a report stating that while compliance standards for crypto businesses have tightened, gaps remain. The report shows that of organizations joining the crypto industry in 2026, approximately 47% adopted alert standards that would have ranked among the top 10% of the strictest standards five years ago. The industry has become more standardized regarding direct monitoring (funds originating directly from known illicit sources), but gaps remain in indirect monitoring (funds flowing through intermediary addresses). Chainalysis points out that in 2020, the industry was still establishing standards, with only 10% meeting top-level requirements, but this percentage began to rise in 2023, as new entrants launched operations with more aggressive monitoring standards. However, indirect monitoring thresholds for categories such as ransomware, fraudulent stores, scams, and darknet markets are 10 to 20 times higher than direct monitoring. The Chainalysis team stated that the gap between direct and indirect monitoring leaves opportunities for malicious actors; the industry has become more professional in direct monitoring, but the stringency regarding indirect risks still needs improvement. By 2025, estimated losses from North Korean-linked hackers will reach $2 billion.