Around 2-6% of World Bank foreign aid got siphoned into crypto wallets

A research study analyzing World Bank aid disbursements from 2018-2024 found that 2-6% of foreign aid was diverted into cryptocurrency wallets, totaling approximately $1.7 to $4.4 billion across 93 recipient countries. The researchers used blockchain forensics and transaction analysis to identify suspicious cryptocurrency activity that surged immediately after aid payments arrived, with patterns consistent with money laundering techniques. Despite detecting this aid diversion in four key sectors—Transport, Water and Sanitation, Social Protection, and Governance—these sectors continued to receive substantial World Bank funding without penalties.