The German Federal Criminal Police (Bundeskriminalamt, BKA) has announced the closure of the eXch\[.]cx crypto exchange and the seizure of its infrastructure over suspicions of money laundering and operating as a criminal trading platform. The operation took place on April 30, 2025. Law enforcement officers seized 8 terabytes of data and crypto assets worth a total of 34 million € (approximately 38.25 million $), including Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin and Dash.
The eXch\[.]cx exchange has been operating since 2014, offering cryptocurrency exchange services on both the open network (clearnet) and the darknet. It positioned itself as a platform that did not implement anti-money laundering measures, which made it attractive for hiding financial transactions. User identification was not carried out, and data was not stored, which made it difficult to track illegal transactions.
Since its launch, the eXch\[.]cx exchange has processed about $1.9 billion in transactions, some of which contained illegal funds, including those linked to North Korean hackers after the Bybit platform was hacked. On the eve of its closure, on April 17, the exchange independently announced the cessation of its activities, indicating the possibility of a forced closure due to suspicions of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Representatives of the platform emphasized that they did not intend to facilitate illegal activities, but its reputation as a confidential exchange became the basis for investigations. Additionally, blockchain analysts from TRM Labs have reported that the exchange was involved in $300,000 worth of transactions involving child sexual exploitation material.
The shutdown of eXch is another step in the fight against illegal use of crypto platforms. Law enforcement agencies emphasize that this is not aimed at restricting user privacy, but is a measure against criminal use. Anyone involved in illegal activity through this exchange may face serious legal consequences.
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