Cryptocurrencies are digital assets that use cryptography for secure financial transactions. They are decentralised, meaning that they are not controlled by any single entity, such as a bank or government. Because of this, it can be difficult to trace crypto assets and investigate fraud involving them.

One way to trace crypto assets is through the use of blockchain technology, which is a decentralised ledger that records all transactions on a network. By analysing the blockchain, it may be possible to identify the origin and destination of a particular transaction and determine if it was part of a fraudulent scheme.

In the context of crypto assets, investigating fraud may involve tracking the movement of assets through the blockchain, identifying suspicious activity, and gathering evidence to support a fraud case.

While tracing and investigating fraud involving crypto assets can be complex and time-consuming, with the right tools and techniques it is possible to identify and prosecute crypto fraudsters.

Led by a former State Agency for National Security (SANS) agent, our team is very experienced in dealing with numerous white collar offences, including tracing crypto assets and investigating related fraud. White Paper Law uses various tools and techniques to trace crypto assets. These include:

• blockchain analysis – nalysing the blockchain ledger can help us trace the movement of crypto assets and identify patterns of suspicious activity;
• cryptocurrency exchanges – many crypto assets are bought and sold on cryptocurrency exchanges, which can be a useful source of information;
• private key analysis – private keys are used to access and transfer crypto assets. Tracking down and analysing private keys can identify the owners of specific crypto assets and trace their movements;
• network analysis – examining the connections between different crypto assets and network addresses can identify online relationships and reveal  potential asset movements.

To investigate fraud involving crypto assets, our team of experts uses a variety of tools and techniques, including:

• analysing transaction records on the blockchain to identify patterns or anomalies that may indicate fraud;
• examining the history of a particular crypto asset to determine if it has been involved in any suspicious activities;
• identifying the individuals or entities behind particular crypto assets by analysing wallet addresses and other identifying information;
• using data analytics and machine learning techniques to identify and analyse large volumes of data related to crypto assets and transactions;
• working with exchanges and other organisations that facilitate crypto transactions to gather additional information and evidence.