Public Key

"We need to think about more creative ways in order to get at the ultimate issue here, which is that they're generating revenue for their weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs." - Jessica Peck In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) is lucky enough to grab Jessica Peck (Senior Counsel, US Department of Justice) and Chris Wong (Supervisory Special Agent, FBI) right off of the main stage to their experiences investigating North Korea's involvement in cryptocurrency and their efforts to track and seize stolen assets. Chris shares his journey from working on interdicting assets to diving into the world of crypto, while Jessica discusses her transition from prosecuting weapons and narcotics cases to focusing on cybercrime and cryptocurrency-related investigations. The trio explore the tactics used by North Korea to launder money and the effectiveness of sanctions in combating these activities.  They also describe the new trends of North Koreans being unknowingly hired by blockchain companies around the world and the associated risks.  Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | FBI's Involvement in intercepting North Korean mineral exports  4 | Jessica and Chris’ background and their first crypto investigation cases  7 | Thwarting North Korean crypto revenue and tracking and recovering stolen cryptocurrency  11 | Tracing North Korea's cryptocurrency laundering efficacy 17 | Evaluating the effectiveness of sanctions on cryptocurrency mixers 19 | Debating cybersecurity and risk management in crypto  25 | North Koreans being employed by crypto firms to develop smart contracts  27 | Best practices for staying safe in crypto and avoiding costly hacks  Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: FBI: We protect the American people and uphold the U.S. Constitution Website: DOJ: To uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights Article: FBI Identifies Lazarus Group Cyber Actors as Responsible for Theft of $41 Million from Stake.com Blog:  $30 Million Seized: How the Cryptocurrency Community Is Making It Difficult for North Korean Hackers To Profit Registration: Digital premiere of Links 2024 (NYC Main Stage Content and more - Register Now!) Blog: International Agencies Sanction Russian National Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, Leader of Cybercrime Group LockBit, for Developing and Distributing Ransomware YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments. Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram  Speakers on today’s episode Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)  Jessica Peck (Senior Counsel, US Department of Justice) Chris Wong (Supervisory Special Agent, FBI) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.  Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.  

Thom Hook, Global Chief Compliance Officer at MoonPay, discusses the challenges of crypto regulations in the US, MoonPay's noncustodial platform, banking relationships, and the need for crypto lawyers. He shares insights on compliance programs, the evolution of MoonPay's business model, and the impact of regulatory frameworks on the industry.

Valerie-Leila Jaber, Global Head of AML at Coinbase, and Ian Andrews discuss USA Crypto Compliance Trends. Topics include the impact of regulations like the Patriot Act, Coinbase's initiatives for Travel Rule compliance, OFAC sanctions, non-custodial wallet, and role as custodian in Bitcoin spot ETFs.

“They want to destroy as many of our systems and resources as they can get the access to." - Yevhenii In this episode Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks to Yevhenii Panchenko (Head of Operational Analysis, Ukraine Cyberpolice Department. Yevhenii discusses the global fight against Russian cyber actors, who target not only Ukraine but also other countries and shares the work his organization is doing to combat cyber threats, including investigating crimes related to fraud, ransomware, and illegal content. He shares the challenges they face in stopping Russian organizations and the importance of international collaboration and volunteers in identifying fraud and scam projects. Yevhenii also announces their new project, SCAMFARI and how they use OSINT to identify crypto fraud and collect data and the impressive features of the DIIA City and the implementation of digital documents in Ukraine.  Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Discussion on the Ukraine Cyber Police mandate and global nature of cyber threats  5 | Describing Russian cyber attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure  8 | A day in the life of the Ukraine Cyber Police Unit 10 | Russian hackers using cryptocurrency to receive ransoms and evade sanctions  12 | Collaboration with US and  EU agencies and training on using Chainalysis  15 | Discussion on the effectiveness of sanctions on crypto flows  18 | What is Scamfari and how they use OSINT to identify crypto fraud and collect data 21 | Impressive features of the DIIA City and the implementation of digital documents  23 | Recommendations for supporting Ukraine, including cryptocurrency investigation skills  Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: Cyber Police of Ukraine is a law enforcement agency within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine dedicated to combating cyber crime. Blog: Summary of Yevhenii Panchenko speech at Chainalysis Links Conference (NYC 2024) Article: Ukraine's cyber police talks crypto, ransomware and documenting war crimes after Russia's invasion Blog: SCAMFARI: This Ukrainian Startup Is Looking to Automate Crypto Crime Reporting Using Smart Contracts, AI Registration: Digital premiere of Links 2024 (NYC Main Stage Content and more - Register Now!) Blog: Crypto Staking Overview: How It Works, Benefits, Risks, and Future Blog - OFAC and Department of State Sanction Nearly 300 Individuals and Entities Involved in Russia’s War Machine, One Known to Have Accepted Crypto YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments. Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram  Speakers on today’s episode Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)  Yevhenii Panchenko (Head of Operational Analysis, Cyberpolice Department, National Police of Ukraine) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.  Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.  

"Compliance always needs to be improving.” - Noah  In this episode Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks to Noah Perlman (Chief Compliance Officer, Binance), whose exchange was very focused on trading and users in the early days and now turning the  page to building out a robust Compliance program. Noah shares his journey from being a prosecutor at the US Attorney's Office, working at Morgan Stanley, to his current role at Binance.  He discusses the challenges and opportunities of working in compliance in the crypto industry, the importance of trust and transparency and the steps Binance is taking to improve its compliance program. Noah also talks about the collaboration between Binance and law enforcement agencies, the regulatory landscape in different countries, and his excitement for innovation and the future of centralized exchanges vs decentralized platforms.  Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Noah's transition from a prosecutor to Chief Compliance Officer at Binance  6 | Experience and cultural differences between TradFi and Crypto  9 | Importance of rebuilding trust in the crypto market and industry  12 | Impact of the settlement with the US government on Binance and Chief Compliance Officer role  15 | Collaboration with law enforcement and focus on rooting out bad actors  19 | Discussion on the future of crypto and the role of centralized exchanges 21 | Debate on the US government's approach to crypto regulation  25 | Excitement about innovating in compliance through technology and killer crypto use cases  Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: Binance: 188,487,264 Users Trust Us! Blog: Binance FZE Receives a VASP Licence from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority Blog: Binance’s Proof-of-Reserves System: A Year of Upgrading User Assets Transparency Press Release: Statement Regarding Tigran Gambaryan Registration: Digital premiere of Links 2024 (NYC Main Stage Content and more - Register Now!) Blog: London’s Metropolitan Police Lead Disruption of Phishing-as-a-Service Provider LabHost YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments. Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram  Speakers on today’s episode Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)  Noah Perlman (Chief Compliance Officer, Binance) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.  Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.

What if there is a company that can detect web3 cyber attacks and hacks before they happen? In this episode Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks to Gal Sagie, who is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hypernative, whose company is doing just that. Preventing malicious cyber threats aimed against the most important protocols and blockchains in the ecosystem, Gal showcases Hypernative’s end-to-end security and risk prevention platform and shares insights into the importance of security in driving wider adoption of blockchain technology.  He discusses how Hypernative's platform has successfully detected and prevented hacks and exploits in the industry and highlights the need for a comprehensive security approach beyond traditional smart contract audits and emphasizes the role of real-time monitoring and automated actions in mitigating risks. He also explains the accuracy of detection, the ease of onboarding and the need for his company to maintain low false positive alerts and the team’s focus to expand to more chains and protocols.  Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Overview of Hypernative and its mission in Web3 security 6 | Discussion on the importance of solving the security problem for wider adoption 10 | The speed of detection: 98% of attacks being detected 2 minutes or more before the first transaction 13 | Chainlink and other ideal users of Hypernative: protocols, chains and investors 16 | The focus on accuracy to minimize false positives and maintain trust  19 | The limitations of smart contract audits and the need for additional security measures  23 | The endless information available on the blockchain for security analysis and the goal to detect all potential risks with minimal effort from customers 27 |The importance of detecting and preventing attacks before any funds are lost  31 | Hypernative's roadmap for the year ahead and plans for expansion  Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: Hypernative: Institutional Grade  Web3 Security Twitter: Hypernative stops zero day cyber-attacks and economic risks Blog: Chainlink Labs and Hypernative Partner to Enhance Web3 Security Blog: Chainalysis Partners with Hypernative for Real-Time Security and Incident Response Press Release: ‘SEAL 911’ team of white hats formed to fight crypto hacks in real time Registration: Digital premiere of Links 2024 (NYC Main Stage Content - Register Now!) Blog: What You Need to Know About the Bitcoin Halving Podcast: Bitcoin Mining and Data Centre Innovations: Podcast Ep. 76 YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments. Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram  Speakers on today’s episode Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)  Gal Sagie (Co-Founder & CEO of Hypernative) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.  Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.  

Everything is Bigger in Texas.  Especially blockchain technology and Bitcoin mining operations.  Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks to Lee Bratcher (Founder & President, Texas Blockchain Council), who is one of the pivotal figures making Texas a leader in Bitcoin, blockchain and digital asset innovation.  Lee shares how he and the TBC are shaping Texas as a front-runner in blockchain policy and they both delve into the intricacies of blockchain technology including its governance, potential for solving societal problems and implications for property rights. Lee highlights the energy economics of bitcoin mining in Texas and the pivotal shifts he has seen in digital asset regulation, with the advent of Bitcoin Spot  ETFs. This episode also breaks down the policy initiatives and legal battles the TBC has had with the U.S. Department of Energy over their emergency energy survey and data collection, as well as TBC’s recent amicus brief submission supporting Coinbase against the SEC.  Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Lee’s background and how he went from Army reserves to getting into cryptocurrency 4 | The concept of digital property rights and identification and its significance in society 6 | Texas Blockchain Council's impact on changing the narrative around blockchain in Texas and suing the Federal Government 10 | Texas becomes a mining epicenter due to China's blockage 14 | Filing an amicus brief to support Coinbase against the SEC 20 | DeFi Education Fund files preemptive lawsuit against the SEC  22 | The North American Blockchain Summit aims to bring policymakers and regulators together with industry executives  26 | Lee reflects on his interview with Balaji Srinivasan and how the share many profound perspectives 29 | Discussions on criminal activity in crypto and impact of Bitcoin spot ETFS Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: TBC: Making Texas a Leader in Bitcoin, Blockchain & Digital Asset Innovation Video: What We Do at the Texas Blockchain Council w/Lee Bratcher Blog: US energy officials agree to ‘destroy’ all data from crypto mining survey Policy: Texas Blockchain Council Policy Initiatives Whitepaper: Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System by Satoshi Nakamoto Book: The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else by Hernando De Soto Video Podcast: Crypto & AI are Redefining US Federal System | Balaji Srinivasan and Lee Bratcher on Shifting Dynamics of US Power Blog: Bitcoin Fog Case Confirms Chainalysis Analytics is Reliable and Admissible in Court Blog: Chainalysis Links NYC Summaries | Day 1 | Day 2 YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments. Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram  Speakers on today’s episode Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)  Lee Bratcher (Founder & President, Texas Blockchain Council) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.  Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.   

Lorenz Haselberger, tax expert, delves into the complexities of reporting crypto and DeFi taxes. Topics include staking, DeFi as taxable events, international tax implications, and expanding info reporting. Emphasizes the need for clarity and guidance from the US government.

Chen Arad, CXO of Solidus Labs, discusses market manipulation in crypto, highlighting the need for surveillance to monitor insider trading and wash trading. He emphasizes the importance of on-chain/off-chain data, compliance systems, and regulatory recognition. The podcast covers his background in journalism, the approval of ETFs as a validation for market integrity, and the challenges of cross-market surveillance in the crypto industry.

In this milestone 100th episode, host Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) takes a break from his usual role and hands the reins over to Kim Grauer (Director of Research, Chainalysis) to discuss the biggest themes and topics from the last 100 episodes. They reflect on the journey of the podcast, share behind-the-scenes insights, and discuss Ian's transition from the tech industry to the world of crypto and some of the challenges the industry still faces after 2 years of producing the podcast. Kim gets Ian to share some of the most impactful episodes, including discussions on pig butchering scams, market manipulation, and the future of DeFi.  Ian offers advice for marketers and shares his excitement for upcoming developments at Chainalysis, including the recent decision in the Bitcoin Fog case. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown (2:30) – Ian's background at Pivotal and decision to join Chainalysis  (9:15) – Ian's foundational technical knowledge and discovery of the global nature of crypto  (12:30) – The new role of Chief Marketing Officer and the early mandate to grow the company (14:21) – Ian highlights the pig butchering and market manipulation issue in crypto  (18:49) –Are the rules around accredited investors in the US protecting consumers or restricting them (22:00) – DeFi hacks, global crypto adoption and the impact of Bitcoin Spot ETFs (31:05) - Highlighting companies like Ironfish and Hypernative for their exciting innovation (34:25) - Marketing advice for companies to focus on storytelling rather than traditional marketing  (38:39) - Ian shares his favorite podcasts, including "Pivot," "Invest Like The Best," and "Lex Friedman" (40:25) - Public Key’s dream podcast guestlist is revealed: Fei-Fei Li, Vitalik Buterin, and Gary Gensler (42:03) - How to start your own podcast in 2024 (44:05) - What’s New For Chainalysis: The Bitcoin Fog Decision, NYC Links Conference and Huge Products being shipped in 2024 Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: Chainalysis: Our annual Crypto Crime Report is back (Download It Today) Event: Chainalysis Links Conference NYC 2024 (Apr. 9-10, 2024) - Early Bird Pricing On Now! Blog: Asset Tokenization Explained: Benefits, Risks, and How It Can Work Blog: OFAC Sanctions Russian Nationals for Facilitating Disinformation on Behalf of the Government of Russia, Funds Frozen by Tether Podcast: Public Key - Ep. 59: Everything You Need to Know About APAC Crypto Regulations Podcast: Public Key - Ep. 70: Balancing Privacy and Regulatory Concerns in the Crypto Space Podcast: Public Key - Ep. 98: Best of Public Key’s Pig Butchering Discussions YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments. Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram  Speakers on today’s episode Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)  Kim Grauer (Director of Research, Chainalysis) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.  Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.