Chainalysis-led operation cracks child exploitation networks with Binance and Coinbase assistance

Chainalysis organized “Operation Lighthouse” together with crypto firms and law‑enforcement agencies to dismantle networks that spread child sexual abuse material. The multi‑day effort, coordinated from the National Cyber‑Forensics and Training Alliance in New York, used blockchain intelligence to generate more than 14,000 investigative leads across roughly 125 countries. The operation examined over 29,000 cryptocurrency addresses and digital identifiers and targeted more than 100 separate forums and hubs, some of whose operators were already known sex offenders.

Partners in the initiative included major exchanges Binance and Coinbase, Europol, the Australian Federal Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the UK’s National Crime Agency, the Internet Watch Foundation and other nonprofit specialists. Danny van Althuis, a Europol team leader, said perpetrators exploit financial services, payment systems, social media and internet platforms to commit or facilitate these crimes, emphasizing the need for cross‑sector collaboration. Gavin Sather, Binance’s senior program manager for anti‑child sexual exploitation, noted that blockchain’s inherent transparency makes it difficult for criminals to hide for long while they exploit victims.

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Anvil is a shared on‑chain collateral layer built on a programmable letter of credit, offering reserve assets as guarantee without loans or interest while maintaining custody and yield.