China's Peptide Pillage: $27M in Cryptocurrency Sales Fuel US Demand
China's pharmaceutical manufacturers have found a new way to profit from America's demand for steroids and weight loss peptides. According to Chainalysis, Chinese companies are using cryptocurrency to sell unapproved peptides online, reaping around $27 million in the first quarter of 2026 - a 150% increase from the previous quarter.
The FDA is set to discuss adding seven peptides to its Section 503A Bulks List, which determines what drugs medical professionals can use for custom prescriptions. This comes as Chainalysis found that one of the same Chinese manufacturers responsible for producing opioids like fentanyl is driving online peptide sales.
Nuritas CEO Nora Khaldi expressed concern about people taking unapproved peptides, saying 'No matter how great a molecule is, the risk you're taking by using and taking it when you don't know the quality… It's mind-blowing.'