The Role of Cryptocurrencies in Committing Terrorist and Extremist Crimes in Modern Conditions

Abstract

Countering and combating manifestations of terrorism and extremism is an urgent and priority task for law enforcement agencies. These provisions underlie the national security of the state, and the fight against manifestations of this kind of crime rightfully deserves the most serious attention. The article presents the prerequisites for the use of cryptocurrencies for criminal purposes, based on the features of its functioning and use. The role of cryptocurrencies in the financing of terrorist and extremist activities in the current international financial and economic environment is indicated. The main problems that law enforcement agencies have to face in identifying and suppressing criminal activity, the financing of which can be organized with the help of cryptocurrencies, are reflected. Substantiated points of view are presented regarding the danger of the spread of cryptocurrencies in crimes of this direction, not only in relation to the Russian Federation, but also to the world community as a whole. The author presents statistical data of the indicated areas of crime and analyzes it. The results of a study by third-party organizations specializing in research in the field of cryptocurrencies are also presented and summarized. Examples of the use of cryptocurrencies to finance terrorist and extremist activities are noted. The ways of solving the presented problems are proposed, taking into account the mechanisms already proposed by scientists for preventing crimes using cryptocurrencies. In particular, the main emphasis is placed on the need to modernize the existing mechanisms of financial control and the reasonable involvement of representatives of large IT companies in this activity, since the main flow of information capable of exposing criminal activity is accumulated by them.