From 2020 to 2024, US banks processed $312 billion in transactions tied to Chinese money laundering networks, primarily through traditional banking channels rather than cryptocurrencies. These networks collaborate with Mexican drug cartels and are involved in human trafficking, healthcare fraud, and real estate fraud, with $53.7 billion flagged in suspicious real estate transactions. By contrast, illicit activity in crypto totaled about $189 billion over five years, less than 1% of the ecosystem, highlighting how underground banking networks continue to function as a shadow financial system for organized crime.

Amid these financial oversight challenges, the US government, under the Trump administration, has started publishing GDP data on nine public blockchains including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Polygon, using oracles like Pyth and Chainlink. Led by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the initiative supplements traditional reporting and allows real-time access to economic data, boosting Pyth’s token price by 61%. This move reflects broader government experimentation with blockchain for transparency and efficiency, including digitizing car titles and reducing operational costs. It also aligns with Trump’s pro-crypto stance, including creating a government Bitcoin and crypto reserve, easing regulations, and supporting crypto-friendly policymakers, signaling blockchain’s expanding role in both public data distribution and financial oversight.