The whole point of bitcoin is trustless action. I don't have to trust you because I can verify the transaction.
If anyone can verify a transaction, it's obviously traceable.
I think the confusion seems from the fact that you do not need to issue a form of identity to use bitcoin. Which is how cash works too.
If your intention is to turn bitcoin into fiat, you will be found out. Fiat is highly regulated, your identity is required. Unless you turned bitcoin into pure cash, which is unlikely at scale.
"Ah but Monero" no. Monero requires you to trust the authors because you can't verify any of the transactions, especially the genesis blocks. Use at your own peril. Bitcoin does not in anyway attempt to mirror this.
Half the value of a bank is that the bank authenticates transactions have actually happened. Bitcoin does too. Publicly. There's nothing "anonymous" about it. There's just no requirement to tie an address to a human identity, but that doesn't mean it can't be done (and you should always act like it has been done, lest the law come for you too).
The idea that crytocurrencies empower criminals because they're anonymous is braindead. There's a lower barrier of entry but scams are older than Central economies are. Crypto is just the newest vehicle and getting rid of crypto will not get rid of scammers (or ransomware).
For example: The Bangladeshi bank heist.