Interpol expands Silver Notice system to trace and seize cross-border criminal assets including cryptocurrency across 196 member countries, identifying €36M in proceeds since January 2025.
Regulation & Gov ·
Interpol is expanding its Silver Notice system to help 196 member countries share information and trace cross-border criminal assets including cryptocurrency. Since the system's trial launch in January 2025, 82 countries have participated and identified at least €36 million in criminal proceeds. The mechanism enables member nations to coordinate on seizing cash, crypto holdings, vehicles, and real estate tied to transnational crime. Italy initiated the first Silver Notice request for a senior mafia member, leading Brazil to locate multiple properties and assets connected to the suspect and associates.
The system addresses a structural enforcement gap: criminals currently retain approximately 99% of illicit proceeds globally. By centralizing asset-tracing requests across Interpol's membership, the Silver Notice aims to improve seizure rates and disrupt financial flows from organized crime and corruption. The trial phase demonstrated feasibility but remains limited to voluntary participation.
Full adoption hinges on a member vote scheduled for Interpol's General Assembly in Hong Kong in November 2026. It remains unclear whether this timeline will accelerate, what enforcement mechanisms will apply to non-compliant members, or how the system will handle jurisdictional disputes over seized cryptocurrency assets.