Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs estimated illicit crypto transactions reached $158 billion in 2025, with scammers increasingly using AI tools to scale impersonation schemes and fake outreach campaigns.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is increasing its use of artificial intelligence as crypto-related fraud, phishing attacks, and digital asset scams continue to grow across global markets.
When I first arrived at the FBI, AI had no role at the Bureau.
Now, AI is central to everything we do – and every day it’s helping us triage tips, stay ahead of threats, crush violent criminals, and be more accountable to the taxpayer.
My op-ed on how we took this FBI out of… pic.twitter.com/0GqvZU1yrT
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) May 11, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel said AI now plays a major role in the bureau’s daily operations, including reviewing tips, tracking threats, supporting violent crime investigations, and improving internal accountability. Patel shared the comments in a May 11 opinion article and a post on X.
According to Patel, AI had little presence inside the FBI before he and Deputy Director Dan Bongino took office earlier this year. Patel said the agency has since launched an AI working group, appointed a chief AI officer, and created an internal AI Review Board as part of a broader modernization effort.
The FBI has not yet released independent data or audits showing how much the new AI systems have improved investigations or enforcement results.
Crypto scams push AI focus
The FBI’s AI expansion comes as U.S. agencies face rising pressure to respond faster to crypto-related crime.
In recent months, the bureau warned users on the TRON blockchain about fake FBI-branded crypto tokens linked to fraudulent anti-money laundering verification websites targeting victims.
Patel also recently appeared alongside Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at the Bitcoin 2026 conference, where both officials discussed how federal authorities plan to approach crypto enforcement. They stated that developers writing software code without intentionally supporting criminal activity are not being targeted by the government, while sanctions violations and money laundering remain prosecutable offenses.
Also, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission recently said it is using AI-enhanced monitoring tools to oversee crypto derivatives and prediction markets more effectively. Meanwhile, Coinbase introduced an AI-based rules engine designed to reduce fraud response times as scams become more sophisticated.
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