The Problem of Criminal Finance as a Threat to Financial Stability

The article examines the phenomenon of criminal finance as a complex and multifaceted economic phenomenon that destabilizes the global financial system. The mechanisms of its formation, legalization, and integration into the legal economy are analyzed, including offshore schemes, anonymous payment systems, and cryptocurrency transactions. Particular attention is paid to issues related to money laundering, the financing of criminal organizations, and corruption. The study emphasizes that traditional methods of combating criminal financial flows do not correspond to the modern digital reality, necessitating the development of innovative approaches. International initiatives to counter financial crimes are considered, including the activities of FATF, cryptocurrency market regulation, and measures to tighten control over beneficial owners. The key problems of law enforcement practice and shortcomings in global coordination, which allow criminal structures to bypass existing control mechanisms, are identified. Prospective measures are proposed to enhance financial monitoring, introduce artificial intelligence for analyzing suspicious transactions, reform the global financial information exchange system, and improve legal regulation of offshore jurisdictions. The article concludes that a comprehensive approach, incorporating technological, legal, and institutional solutions, is essential to minimize the scale of criminal financial flows and ensure transparency in the global economy.