Crypto Firms Join Forces with United for Wildlife to Combat Wildlife Trafficking

Chainalysis and TRM Labs have joined forces with United for Wildlife to combat wildlife trafficking by tracing cryptocurrency wallets. The initiative aims to disrupt the payment networks behind illegal activities, which generate up to $23 billion annually and threaten around one million plant and animal species.

The coalition is not solely focusing on cryptocurrency, but rather adding wallet tracing to a broader enforcement stack that includes platform detection, bank monitoring, mobile-money surveillance, and transport screening. This approach recognizes that wildlife traffickers often use digital platforms to reach buyers and payment rails to move proceeds across borders.

Chainalysis has previously identified crypto use inside organized-crime flows, including wildlife sales, where traffickers employ wallets, exchanges, and cryptocurrency ATMs to move funds across jurisdictions. The company's blockchain analytics can help investigators follow funds after a wallet is identified, map clusters, flag exchange deposits, connect payment routes, and support seizure or freezing requests when funds touch compliant services.

The online side of the campaign focuses on removing illegal listings before buyers reach payment. Participating companies, including Google, Meta, TikTok, Alibaba, eBay, and others, are advancing AI-based detection and prevention tools aimed at wildlife-trafficking content across search, social, and e-commerce surfaces.