The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is signaling a major shift in its approach to crypto enforcement.
Authorities frame digital assets not as standalone “crypto scams” but as a central tool in modern, industrial-scale fraud operations.
DOJ Recasts Crypto as Fraud Infrastructure as AI Turns Scams into Industrial Operations
In its 2025 Year in Review, the DOJ highlighted three high-profile cases that illustrate how crypto has become embedded in traditional crimes, citing:
According to the DOJ, prosecutors charged 265 defendants in 2025 with an aggregate intended loss exceeding $16 billion. This is more than double the previous year.
The Fraud Section operates through specialized units, including the Health Care Fraud Unit, which oversees seizures of crypto alongside cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
One of the most striking cases involved Tyler Kontos, Joel “Max” Kupetz, and Jorge Kinds, charged with a $1 billion amniotic wound allograft fraud.
The scheme targeted elderly and terminally ill patients with medically unnecessary grafts, generating over $600 million in improper Medicare payments.
Authorities later seized more than $7.2 million in assets, including crypto.
In another case, Travis Ford, former CEO of Wolf Capital, was sentenced to five years in prison for a $9.4 million crypto investment fraud promising 547% annual returns to roughly 2,800 investors.
These cases illustrate a broader DOJ strategy: crypto is increasingly treated like traditional forms of illicit value like cash, cars, or luxury goods, rather than as a novel, speculative asset.