How to investigate a crypto crime

[nickchernikov]

Cryptocurrencies have been experiencing bear market for a while. An ever-growing crypto crime rate is one of the major contributors to undermining the global belief in virtual currencies. Seeing the fashion for crypto investigations, I would like to share with everyone the 5 steps that I normally take to investigate a crypto crime.

1. Planning. Try to reconstruct the timeline of events. Draw a couple of hypotheses.

2. Blockchain analysis. Define the suspects and blockchain addresses involved in a crime, and investigate their history of transactions, interactions with other wallets, assets value etc. This kind of evidence can be collected by using multi-blockchain explorers such as ORS CryptoHound. By referring to the data from blockchain analytics, fill in as much as possible the gaps in the initial timeline. Focus on finding links between different events.

3. Identification. Check from open sources to whom the original and related addresses belong, and identify persons or entities where possible. Conduct further research on their history of criminal activities or possible motifs, if applicable.

4. Verification. Put together the collected evidence to check and verify each of the hypotheses. Select the most viable one.

5. Reporting. Summarize the methodology, steps taken and results in one final investigation report, with relevant evidence attached.

I hope, this simple how-to will help you become an open-source crypto investigator! Ask me anything in this thread, if you need more guidance. "