Europol-Coordinated Operation Traces €47 Million in Crypto Linked to Digital Piracy

A joint enforcement operation coordinated by Europol has identified approximately €47 million ($55 million) in cryptocurrency transactions connected to illegal streaming and digital piracy networks. The findings were part of the "Intellectual Property Crime Cyber-Patrol Week," a five-day initiative conducted in mid-November.

Supported by the EU Intellectual Property Office and the Spanish National Police, the operation involved collaboration among more than 15 countries and private-sector organizations. Investigators focused on mapping financial flows and infringement patterns, utilizing open-source intelligence tools to locate platforms facilitating illegal content distribution.

The agency reported that the operation identified 69 suspect websites with a combined estimated annual traffic of nearly 12 million visitors. Additionally, 25 illicit IPTV services were referred to crypto service providers for disruption, and new investigations were opened into 44 further targets.

Investigators noted a distinct shift in the operational methods of piracy networks, observing that many have moved away from traditional payment providers in favor of cryptocurrency. To counter this, authorities executed test purchases using crypto to identify wallet operators and report them to exchanges and forensic firms.