UN Report Warns of ISIS and Al-Qaeda’s Use of Digital Currencies and AI to Sustain Financing

UN Report Warns of ISIS and Al-Qaeda’s Use of Digital Currencies and AI to Sustain Financing
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Despite territorial defeats in Iraq and Syria, ISIS and Al-Qaeda are increasingly relying on digital currencies, hidden investments, and artificial intelligence technologies to maintain financial networks, Shia Waves Persian revealed citing a new UN report.

The report, presented to the UN Security Council and cited by Middle East News and Okaz, highlights the adaptability of these extremist groups to modern tools. Financing methods are no longer limited to extortion or kidnapping; instead, they now include the use of cryptocurrencies such as Monero, AI-based forgery of identity documents, and covert real estate investments. Women are also reportedly being used to move funds, while taxation of local communities persists in some areas.

According to the UN’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, ISIS’s central financial system has weakened, with fighters now earning only $50–70 per month, and families of members receiving just $35, often irregularly. However, ISIS-Khorasan, its Afghanistan-based affiliate, is said to be in a stronger position, holding an estimated $10 million in reserves, partly invested in property.

The report warns that these evolving strategies allow extremist groups to evade sanctions and maintain operational capabilities, despite no longer controlling large territories. International observers stress that global cooperation and tighter regulation of financial systems are essential to countering the ongoing threat.