Artificial intelligence (A.I) is increasingly being used in cryptocurrency crimes, according to a new report from TRM Labs.
TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence and investigations company, says A.I. use in crypto crimes has risen 40% in the past year, with the increase driven primarily by online scammers.
The firm’s 2026 “AI-in-Crime Adoption Index” places A.I. use in crypto crimes at an “emerging level” of 54 out of 100. That’s up from 28 out of 100 in 2024.
TRM said that online scams using A.I. are at a “mature level,” while hacking and ransomware remains “emerging” and darknet markets are at the earliest “horizon” stage.
“AI has not invented new crimes. It removed the constraints on old ones,” says TRM Labs in its report.
The report notes that the share of crypto scams involving A.I., including deepfakes and chatbots, has risen 13 fold since 2022.
Losses from A.I. deepfake scams this year have surpassed the full-year total for 2025 by 263%, showing the accelerated adoption of A.I. among criminals.
Security experts have warned that A.I. could uncover vulnerabilities that humans cannot on blockchain networks, leading to increased hacks and thefts.
The TRM report says that crypto hacks reached a record 201 in the first half of this year, more than double the 2025 figure.
North Korea-linked crypto crime accounted for $600 million U.S. (61%) of losses seen in the first six months of 2026, concludes TRM Labs.
TRM Labs is privately held and its stock does not trade on a public exchange.
