⁠Europol Shuts Down Notorious Cryptomixer, Seizes €25M in Bitcoin and 12TB of Data

Europol

Europol, in collaboration with law enforcement authorities in Germany and Switzerland, has shut down Cryptomixer, one of Europe’s most well-known custodial bitcoin mixing services. The operation led to the seizure of €25 million, approximately $27 million, in bitcoin and the confiscation of more than 12 terabytes of user data linked to the platform’s activities.

The coordinated action took place in Zurich between November 24 and 28, with Europol providing continuous support throughout the week. During the operation, investigators seized three servers, took control of the Cryptomixer domain, and replaced the website with an official law enforcement seizure notice.

Authorities said the platform operated on both the clearnet and the dark web and had been active since 2016. Over that period, it processed more than €1.3 billion in bitcoin transactions. According to investigators, the service was widely used to launder funds tied to ransomware attacks, dark web marketplaces, fraud schemes, and other forms of organised cybercrime.

Cryptomixer’s software worked by pooling deposits over extended and randomised periods before redistributing the funds to newly generated addresses. This process was designed to break the traceability of transactions, making it difficult for authorities to track the origin and destination of illicit funds. Law enforcement linked the platform to proceeds from drug trafficking, arms trafficking, payment card fraud, and cyberattacks.

Europol coordinated intelligence-sharing efforts through its Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce and deployed forensic specialists to support the operation.

Europol Steps Up Global Pressure on Crypto Laundering and Dark‑Web Finance Infrastructure

Europol, in coordination with European and international law enforcement, has intensified operations against cryptocurrency laundering networks. The agency’s actions span multiple high-profile cases.

The agency noted that the takedown follows previous actions against similar services. In 2019, Bestmixer.io was among the largest crypto mixers worldwide; its shutdown involved the seizure of six servers after authorities concluded much of its mixed volume came from illicit flows. Similarly, in 2023, it dismantled ChipMixer, which was then considered the largest cryptomixer in operation.

In mid‑2025, a coordinated operation led to arrests across Spain and the Canary Islands tied to a network that reportedly laundered some €460 million via shell companies, crypto exchanges, and payment gateways before investigators intervened.

Then, more recently in September 2025, Canadian police, acting on a lead from Europol, seized C$56 million (roughly  $40 million) in crypto from TradeOgre — described as the largest crypto seizure in Canadian history — after concluding the platform had operated without a license and facilitated criminal fund flows.

Tobi Opeyemi Amure is a full-time freelancer who loves writing about finance, from crypto to personal finance. His work has been featured in places like Watcher Guru, Investopedia, Sterling Savvy and other widely-followed sites. He also runs his own personal finance site, tobiwrites.co. Tobi lives in Lagos, Nigeria, and dreams of one day traveling to every country in the world.
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