By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Chinese cryptocurrency addresses sent more than $2.2 billion worth of digital tokens to addresses tied to illegal activity such as scams and Alphabay Darknet operations between April 2019 and June 2021, according to a report from blockchain data platform Chainalysis released on Tuesday.

LISBON, March 17 (Reuters) - The closure of nightclubs and bars during COVID-19 lockdowns in Europe is likely behind a significant drop in the use of party drug MDMA last year but consumption of other substances such as cocaine and cannabis kept rising, an EU study said on Thursday.

Conducted by the Lisbon-based European Union drugs agency (EMCDDA), a study of wastewater from nearly 45 million people in 75 European cities revealed that the use of most drugs, except MDMA, increased last year.

German prosecutors say they have busted one of the world's biggest international darknet market platforms for child pornography, used by more than 400,000 registered members, including from the US, Australia and Canada.

By Tom Wilson LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The kingpin or kingpins of the world's biggest illicit credit card marketplace have retired after making an estimated fortune of over $1 billion in cryptocurrency, according to research by blockchain analysis firm Elliptic shared with Reuters.