Adoption of artificial intelligence in cryptocurrency crime rose 40% year-on-year in 2026, driven primarily by scammers, according to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs. Its 2026 AI-in-Crime Adoption Index places overall AI use across crypto crime at an “emerging” level of 54 out of 100, up from about 28 in 2024. Scams are the only category rated Mature and top the ranking, with AI now generating target lists and lures, powering deepfakes, and running victim conversations autonomously. The share of scam reports involving AI has grown 13 times since 2022, and 17% of crypto scams with live domains advertise AI products. Deepfake scam losses in 2026 have already surpassed the full-year 2025 total by 263%. Hacking and state-sponsored theft ranked Emerging, but digital-asset hacks hit a record 201 in the first half of 2026, more than double the prior year, with 4% of incidents producing 75% of the stolen value and North Korea accounting for $600 million, or 61%. The two major April incidents were the $285 million Drift Protocol breach and the $292 million KelpDAO exploit, both initiated via social engineering. No-code ransomware kits sell for $400 to $1,200, and TRM flagged JadePuffer, the first fully agentic ransomware in which an AI agent autonomously handled reconnaissance, credential theft, lateral movement and encryption. Narcotics and darknet markets sit at the horizon stage as buyers warn against AI-generated markets.