A powerful new alliance of crypto giants, traditional finance firms, and global law enforcement has launched the Beacon Network, a real-time system designed to trace and freeze stolen digital assets before criminals can cash out.

Developed by blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, the Beacon Network aims to stop crypto crime by linking exchanges, payment providers, and investigators in what it calls an “unprecedented level of industry collaboration.” According to TRM Labs, more than $47 billion in crypto has been sent to fraud-linked addresses since 2023, though the actual figure is likely far higher.

The network allows verified members—including exchanges, payment platforms, and security researchers—to flag suspicious wallet addresses. Once flagged, alerts are automatically sent across the system when illicit funds touch a participating exchange, enabling the assets to be tracked and frozen within minutes.

Founding members include Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Robinhood, PayPal, Anchorage Digital, Ripple, and leading security researchers such as ZachXBT and SEAL. Global law enforcement agencies are also plugged into the system, contributing critical intelligence on high-risk wallets.

TRM Labs said the Beacon Network has already achieved early successes. In one case, authorities traced $1.5 million from a global scam and froze the funds when they hit an exchange. In another, investigators flagged $800,000 in scam-related deposits that were quickly locked down.

By creating the first end-to-end “kill chain” for illicit crypto transactions, the Beacon Network is expected to target hackers, scammers, and even North Korean-linked operations. Verified access ensures only trusted actors can flag funds, preventing abuse of the system.

TRM Labs emphasized that the goal is simple: to close the narrow window criminals exploit and recover stolen assets before they vanish into the blockchain’s shadows.