Cryptocurrency such as bitcoin, Ethereum, and, more recently, Monero has become the currency of choice for many drug dealers and extortionists. The criminal activities extend to tax evasion, money laundering, Ponzi schemes, and the theft of cryptocurrencies to kidnapping for ransom. As the demand for cryptocurrencies increases, it provides opportunities for criminals to hide behind the presumed privacy and anonymity. Identifying these cryptocurrency-related crimes have posed challenges for law enforcement due to the cross-border nature of transactions, the use of evasion technology to mask the identity of users, and inconsistent regulations. To address the role of cryptocurrencies in criminal activities, the study focused on four research questions: (1) What role do cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin (BTC) play in criminal activities? (2) What factors facilitate cryptocurrency-related criminal activities? (3) What role do politics play in regulating cryptocurrencies? and (4) What are the challenges they pose for regulators and law enforcement? To answer the questions, the study utilized a systematic content review of the news reports, court cases, scholarly articles, online search engines, and commentaries relevant to regulations and reforms. The findings help to understand the current climate of virtual currencies, their use in criminal activities, and the complexities involved in regulating cryptocurrencies.

中文翻译：

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加密货币和相关犯罪活动的普及

比特币、以太坊以及最近的门罗币等加密货币已成为许多毒贩和勒索者的首选货币。犯罪活动扩展到逃税、洗钱、庞氏骗局，以及盗窃加密货币到绑架勒索。随着对加密货币需求的增加，它为犯罪分子提供了隐藏在假定的隐私和匿名背后的机会。由于交易的跨境性质、使用规避技术来掩盖用户身份以及不一致的法规，识别这些与加密货币相关的犯罪对执法提出了挑战。为了解决加密货币在犯罪活动中的作用，该研究侧重于四个研究问题：(1) 比特币 (BTC) 等加密货币在犯罪活动中扮演什么角色？(2) 哪些因素助长了与加密货币相关的犯罪活动？(3) 政治在监管加密货币方面扮演什么角色？(4) 它们给监管机构和执法部门带来了哪些挑战？为了回答这些问题，该研究对新闻报道、法庭案例、学术文章、在线搜索引擎以及与法规和改革相关的评论进行了系统的内容审查。这些发现有助于了解虚拟货币的当前气候、它们在犯罪活动中的使用以及监管加密货币所涉及的复杂性。