TRM Labs finds gray-market peptide vendors also list fentanyl precursors
Crypto payments to vendors advertising both categories rose from $28.2 million in 2023 to $37.3 million in 2025, with 57% traced to US buyers.
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By Daniel Okafor · Regulatory Correspondent
Oct 8 18:00 ETSource: Medical Daily
The wire
- 01A TRM Labs blockchain analysis published Oct. 6 identified more than 150 Chinese chemical makers accepting cryptocurrency, about 75% of which list both fentanyl precursors and peptides such as semaglutide and Melanotan II.
- 02Buyers of research-use-only vials have no assurance of content, dose or sterility, and the FDA treats semaglutide, tirzepatide and retatrutide sold for research purposes as unapproved drugs.
- 03TRM cannot separate payments for peptides from those for fentanyl ingredients, so the report shows vendor overlap rather than that individual buyers funded trafficking.
From the source
Read at medicaldaily.comAmericans Paying for Cheap Online Semaglutide May Be Sending Money to Vendors That Also List Fentanyl Precursors
People shopping online for low-cost semaglutide or "research peptides" may be sending money to the same Chinese chemical companies that advertise fentanyl ingredients , according to a new TRM Labs blockchain analysis published Oct. 6. The firm found that cryptocurrency payments to vendors listing both peptides and fentanyl precursors rose from $28.2 million in 2023 to $37.3 million in 2025, a 32%
