Tax Evaders Exploit Novel Digital Assets, Chainalysis Finds

Tax evaders are increasingly turning to Bitcoin Ordinals, BRC-20 tokens, and related on-chain techniques to hide wealth, according to a report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. The firm warns that as digital assets become more mainstream, malefactors “frequently attempt to exploit novel technologies” in the hope of evading tax authorities and law enforcement. The development comes amid a broader push by tax agencies to catch up with rapid advances in crypto and blockchain tech.

In a notable Italian case highlighted by Chainalysis, authorities allege that a suspect used Ordinals and the BRC-20 standard to conceal 1 million euros in undeclared capital gains. The investigation, led by Italy’s Economic and Financial Police Unit in Foggia, reveals how on-chain inscriptions and tokenization can be deployed to create and move assets without immediate visibility to traditional tax reporting channels. Chainalysis described the sequence as the creation of tokens via the Ordinals protocol, listing them on marketplaces, and then transferring the proceeds back to the suspect’s primary wallet in Bitcoin, with earnings continually reinvested into new inscriptions.

Ordinals, introduced in 2023, attach a serial number to a satoshi—the smallest unit of Bitcoin—and enable data such as images or text to be embedded in a transaction. The BRC-20 standard, built atop Ordinals, permits the minting and transfer of text-based inscriptions as if they were tokens on the Bitcoin network. This combination has spawned a new class of on-chain assets that can be traded or stored, complicating conventional tax reporting and oversight.

Key takeaways

• Bloomberg-backed findings: Chainalysis identifies growing use of Bitcoin Ordinals and BRC-20 inscriptions as tools for concealing wealth and evading taxes.
• Italy case mechanics: An individual allegedly leveraged Ordinals and BRC-20 to hide 1 million euros in undeclared gains, moving profits through on-chain tokens and consolidating earnings in a Bitcoin wallet before reinvestment.
• On-chain visibility remains a double-edged sword: While the technology can obscure activity, Chainalysis argues that the traceability of blockchain networks remains a fundamental enforcement advantage for investigators.
• Broader tax-gap context: Estimates suggest hundreds of billions in uncollected taxes related to crypto, with the U.S. tax gap pegged around $606 billion and varying degrees of crypto reporting across jurisdictions such as the U.S. and Norway.
• Enforcement and infrastructure: Blockchain intelligence is increasingly viewed as essential infrastructure for cross-referencing exchange data and reconstructing financial networks tied to suspected tax evaders.

Ordinals, BRC-20, and the new tax-evasion playbook

The Ordinals protocol assigns a unique serial number to satoshis, enabling on-chain data inscriptions that can be minted, transferred, and publicly stored on Bitcoin’s ledger. The accompanying BRC-20 standard expands on this by enabling token-like inscriptions with text and other data—effectively turning inscriptions into tradeable digital assets. This evolution has drawn attention from researchers and authorities as tax reporting frameworks grapple with on-chain activity that can be both legitimate and illicit in purpose.

Chainalysis notes that the Italian case illustrates how a relatively new suite of tools can be repurposed to hide gains: tokens are minted, listed on marketplaces, and proceeds routed to a central wallet, with profits continually rolled into new inscriptions. The case underscores the ongoing challenge for tax authorities: even as compliance improves, more complex on-chain structures require sophisticated tracing and data integration to ensure accurate reporting.

Enforcement leverage and the role of blockchain intelligence

It is widely acknowledged that tax authorities face substantial gaps in crypto reporting. The Internal Revenue Service estimates a sizable “tax gap”—the difference between what is legally owed and what is collected—approaching $606 billion. While traditional tax-avoidance methods often involved cash and underreporting, Chainalysis argues that the transparency of blockchains introduces a “fatal flaw” for evasion schemes: the immutable, traceable chain of transactions can, in most cases, be reconstructed and cross-referenced with data from exchanges and other on-ramps.

“The assets were sold for multiples of their original cost, and the profits were routed back to the suspect’s primary wallet in Bitcoin. The suspect continually reinvested these earnings into new inscriptions.”

Chainalysis frames the Italian case as a warning: as new digital asset classes emerge, the gap between on-chain wealth and declared tax positions is likely to become a primary target for global investigative attention. Blockchain intelligence is increasingly positioned as essential infrastructure for modern enforcement, enabling authorities to map financial networks, verify reported gains, and connect on-chain activity to real-world identities and obligations.

Beyond Italy, studies from other jurisdictions highlight varying levels of crypto tax reporting. A March report noted that only about 32% to 56% of U.S. crypto owners report their gains, while a separate August 2024 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research put Norway’s reporting rate at roughly 12%. These figures illustrate the uneven landscape of crypto taxation and the potential for on-chain activity to outpace traditional oversight tools.

In reporting on tax compliance and enforcement, Chainalysis emphasizes that while crypto can enable novel opportunities for innovation, it also creates a persistent, traceable ledger. As authorities expand their capacity to analyze inscriptions, token standards, and exchange data, the on-chain space is likely to become a more prominent battleground in the wider fight against tax evasion.

For readers monitoring the regulatory trajectory, the Italian case signals how authorities may increasingly apply blockchain analytics to standard tax investigations, not only focusing on traditional wallets and fiat conversions but also on tokenized, on-chain assets that encode data in new ways.

Information from this week’s reporting traces back to Chainalysis’s assessment and linked coverage of Italy’s investigation, and to agencies’ ongoing assessments of tax gaps and compliance challenges in crypto markets. The evolving landscape suggests that investors and users should anticipate more granular scrutiny of on-chain assets, particularly those that blend data inscriptions with token-like function.

As the market and technology mature, observers will be watching for how courts interpret on-chain inscriptions for tax purposes and how enforcement agencies adapt their audit playbooks to this rapidly changing toolkit.

Readers should stay tuned for updates as more jurisdictions publish guidance on tax treatment for Ordinals, BRC-20 tokens, and related data-embedding technologies, and as enforcement cases like Italy’s begin to shape the practical boundary between innovation and compliance.