Money Laundering in the Crypto Ecosystem: Implications for Organized Crime

Darko Marković

doi:10.51738/kpolisa.2026.2r.dm

Authors

Darko Marković University Business Academy, Novi Sad, Serbia Faculty of Law for Commerce and Judiciary https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9124-6417

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51738/kpolisa.2026.2r.dm

Keywords:

transnational criminal, financial security, financial criminal, decentralized transactions, blockchain infrastructure

Abstract

The paper deals with the transformation of money laundering in the conditions of digitization of financial
flows, with special reference to the role of cryptocurrencies in the strategies of organized crime. Starting
from the classic three-phase model of placement, layering and integration, the ways in which the digital
ecosystem changes operational patterns, available instruments and possibilities to conceal the origin of
funds are analyzed. Cryptocurrencies introduce specific dynamics–speed, global reach, and pseudonymity
– that affect the risk perception of perpetrators and make institutional oversight more difficult, thus opening
up space for new typologies of financial crime. The aim of the paper is to show how traditional models of
money laundering adapt to the crypto-environment and what criminological implications arise from such
changes. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the relationship between technological innovation
and institutional capacity, as well as how the digital space affects the strategies of organized crime in
terms of covering tracks, moving funds and infiltrating legal flows. Methodologically, the work is based on
descriptive, analytical and comparative processing of relevant domestic and international sources, including
regulatory documents, reports of law enforcement institutions and available data on cases in which
cryptocurrencies were used for criminal purposes. This sets the framework for understanding contemporary
challenges in the fight against money laundering in the digital environment.

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