Chainalysis Operation Lighthouse Cracks Down on Child Exploitation Networks
A major crackdown on child exploitation rings has been carried out through Operation Lighthouse, a joint effort between blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis and law enforcement agencies worldwide. The operation targeted more than 100 forums and hubs used to trade abuse material, generating over 14,000 investigative leads.
According to the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance in New York, where the operation was headquartered, investigators examined over 29,000 cryptocurrency addresses and digital identifiers.
The use of cryptocurrency by child exploitation networks has been flagged as an acute and growing problem. The inherent transparency of blockchain makes it difficult for criminals to hide while exploiting victims, said Gavin Sather, senior program manager for anti-child sexual exploitation at Binance.