Suspicious $1.6M NFT purchase raises money laundering concerns

• Anonymous $1.6 million NFT purchase triggers the cryptocurrency community’s suspicions.
• The previous sale at a much lower price raises questions of foul play.
• Tornado Cash’s involvement adds to concerns due to its history of anonymizing transactions.

In a surprising turn of events, an anonymous user on the OpenSea marketplace recently purchased a CrypToadz non-fungible token (NFT) for an astonishing $1.6 million. The NFT, representing “a small, warty, amphibious creature,” is one of 6,969 units created by the pseudonymous digital artist Gremplin.

This purchase has triggered speculation within the cryptocurrency community, with some questioning the legitimacy of the transaction.

Unusual price surge

The CrypToadz NFT in question had a previous sale price of 0.95 ETH (approximately $1,600). However, it was acquired by an anonymous buyer for 1,055 Wrapped Ethereum (wETH), equivalent to $1.6 million, causing eyebrows to rise among market observers.

Oh geez this doesn't look good. A Cryptoadz NFT sells for $1,660,000 (1,055 ETH).

There were $41,500 in fees paid to OpenSea which makes me think it was a fat-finger error.

The floor price for the Toadz is 0.5 ETH.

ht @gangnam_eth pic.twitter.com/h8bPTCj2la

— NFTstats.eth (@punk9059) October 9, 2023

The significant price difference between the two transactions has led to scepticism and suspicions of potential foul play.

Money laundering concerns

Adding to the intrigue, the purchase was made using a digital wallet that had previously been involved in a chain of transactions anonymized by the Ethereum coin mixing service known as Tornado Cash, which allows users to obscure the origin of their cryptocurrency holdings, making it challenging to trace the source of the funds involved in this high-value NFT transaction.

Tornado Cash has gained notoriety for its popularity among scammers seeking to launder funds. In August 2023, the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Tornado Cash for its alleged involvement in laundering crime proceeds, although these sanctions did not completely halt the service’s usage.

The significant price difference in the CrypToadz NFT purchase coupled with the use of Tornado Cash for anonymization has cast a shadow of suspicion over the transaction. There are questions about whether the purchase of the CrypToadz NFT was a legitimate acquisition or part of a larger scheme to launder funds.

While the use of Tornado Cash in this transaction suggests a potential attempt to obfuscate the source of the funds involved, whether it was an innocent mistake or a more sinister attempt at money laundering remains to be seen.