GI-TOC analysis warns by 2035, the Western Balkans could become a nexus for cybercrime, combining blockchain and AI innovation with organised crime in “criminal states” and resource-scarce markets

This evolution is being driven by several converging factors: entrenched state capture and corruption that allows criminal actors to influence governance and economic decisions; rapid adoption of advanced technologies, including cybercrime tools, blockchain, and encrypted communications; and climate-driven resource scarcity, which opens new opportunities for control over water, energy, and rare minerals…