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How IRS-CI Follows The Crypto

Dec 29, 2025
Trevor McAleenan, Acting Supervisory Special Agent at IRS Criminal Investigation, sheds light on his dynamic career tackling financial crime and cryptocurrency investigations. He discusses the agency's incredible stats, including over $10 billion in identified financial crime. The conversation delves into major cases involving darknet narcotics networks and how AI shapes modern crimefighting. Trevor shares amusing seizure stories, like discovering a Raspberry Pi hidden in a popcorn tin, highlighting the innovative strategies required in this complex landscape.
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INSIGHT

Crypto Is Core To Investigations

  • IRS-CI treats cryptocurrency as central to modern investigations and follows money across blockchains.
  • Trevor McAleenan says 100% of his cyber unit's inventory now involves crypto in some form.
ANECDOTE

First Crypto Lessons Came From Experimenting

  • Trevor first encountered crypto while investigating in Los Angeles in 2013 and instantly experimented by buying and selling Bitcoin.
  • He sold his first Bitcoin within hours to see how transactions worked and to learn the tech hands-on.
INSIGHT

IRS-CI's Unique Authority And Global Reach

  • IRS-CI is uniquely empowered to investigate criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code and supports broad national security priorities.
  • Trevor outlines global attaches and partnerships like the J5 that expand investigative reach.
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