The Chinese-language crypto laundering network Huione continues to operate at scale despite regulatory sanctions and the takedown of its public-facing infrastructure. In May 2025, the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) designated Huione as a primary money laundering concern under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, aiming to cut the platform off from the U.S. financial system.
Following the announcement, Huione's official website and Telegram channels were shut down or banned. However, data from blockchain analytics firms like Chainalysis and Elliptic confirm that Huione's transaction volumes have not declined; instead, they have increased. The platform resurfaced under the new domain Huione.me, retaining its branding and listing its own token XOC and stablecoin USDH.
Huione's laundering network avoids mainstream exchanges, relying heavily on "guarantee" peer-to-peer escrow services and complex laundering typologies such as fiat-to-stablecoin swaps, in-person cash pickups, prepaid card transfers, and even physical motorcade handoffs. The network remains deeply embedded in broader criminal ecosystems linked to illicit activities including money laundering facilitated by stablecoins like USDT.
Despite losing access to U.S. dollars and facing infrastructure takedowns, Huione's resilience underscores the limitations of fragmented enforcement strategies, highlighting the need for international cooperation, advanced blockchain intelligence, and real-time information sharing among regulators and law enforcement to disrupt such sophisticated laundering operations effectively.