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Summary
International law enforcement agencies collaborated to raid BreachForum and arrest 5 administrators, including IntelBroker (Kai West).
IntelBroker accepted Bitcoin instead of Monero as a payment method during undercover investigation, enabling blockchain analysis and providing a breakthrough in the case.
Chainalysis Reactor played a crucial role in tracking cryptocurrency transactions through multiple exchanges, linking IntelBroker's digital activities to their identity.
This case demonstrates that combining blockchain analysis with traditional investigation methods can effectively break through cryptocurrency anonymity.
Investigation: How Cryptocurrency Became a Digital Fingerprint
- Immutability of Blockchain Transactions
Blockchain transactions form a tamper-proof, permanent record that serves as "immutable evidence" and can be analyzed even as time passes. - Network Visualization
By using blockchain analysis software like Chainalysis Reactor, complex transaction networks can be visualized, revealing connections that would be difficult to discover through traditional manual methods. - Cross-Platform Correlation Analysis
Comprehensive analysis of transactions across multiple cryptocurrencies and exchanges can create detailed financial profiles of criminals. - Utilizing Multi-Source Intelligence
By combining blockchain analysis, KYC data, OSINT, and traditional investigation techniques, investigative teams are demonstrating unprecedented identification capabilities.
This collaborative effort required an unprecedented international cooperation, involving French authorities who made the arrest, US prosecution agencies, and cryptocurrency exchanges that provided critical account information.
This case sends a strong message to cybercriminals. Particularly, it demonstrates that cryptocurrencies are not as anonymous as many assume when using regulated cryptocurrency exchanges. In this instance, factors that enabled investigative authorities to uncover the truth included receiving Bitcoin instead of Monero, publicly exposing cryptocurrency addresses, and using personal information in trading accounts.
For law enforcement and compliance teams, the latest blockchain intelligence platform provides multi-faceted support, including comprehensive cross-chain transaction mapping, real-time risk assessment tools, cross-referencing analysis capabilities, and standardized intelligence formats that facilitate international information sharing.
Achieving a Safer Digital Society through Intelligence-Led Enforcement
Chainalysis is committed to providing comprehensive blockchain intelligence capabilities, including blockchain analysis, training, and expert services, to discover, track, and prevent criminal activities in this continuously evolving landscape.
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