U.S. Secret Service Seizes Record $400 Million in Crypto Crime Crackdown

- Secret Service recovers $400 million in crypto assets linked to fraud over a decade. - Recent $225 million seizure from investment scams marks biggest haul yet. On July 5, 2025, Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Secret Service’s Global Investigative Operations Center (GIOC) has recovered $400 million in cryptocurrency tied to criminal activities over the past decade. This total includes a record-breaking $225 million seized from investment fraud schemes, underscoring the agency’s growing role in combating global crypto crime. The Block also reported on July 5 that the agency holds the digital assets in a single cold-storage wallet, a move reflecting its increasing capability to handle large-scale cryptocurrency investigations. As a central part of this effort, the Secret Service has dismantled complex operations like romance fraud by tracing illicit transactions across multiple crypto exchanges. These endeavors highlight the Secret Service’s commitment to combating financial fraud in the digital asset ecosystem, which aligns with its traditional focus on monetary crime. To expand its impact, the GIOC offers specialized, week-long training programs to law enforcement agencies in over 60 countries, aiming to strengthen global capabilities in identifying and tackling crypto-related crimes. In addition, the agency collaborates with key players in the crypto industry. For example, Coinbase assists in tracking illicit transactions, while Tether partners with the Secret Service and the FBI to facilitate asset freezes and seizures. The $225 million recovery, the largest in the agency’s history, showcases the success of these partnerships and its proactive global approach. This achievement, which stems from effective coordination among law enforcement entities, private-sector experts, and international partners, highlights the Secret Service’s leadership in efficiently addressing cryptocurrency-based crimes.