Public Key

With Bitcoin reaching all-time highs we thought it would be best for us to revisit one of our most downloaded episodes on Public Key discussing Crypto Market Manipulation, with former Flashpoint founder, Evan Kohlmann and Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis).  Evan is now the Founder and CEO of Cloudburst Technologies, a company tasked with scraping the dark web to identify potential pump and dump schemes and the associated illicit actors.  In the episode recorded in February 2023, Evan explains the nuances of these targeted market manipulation attacks, who the orchestrators are, and the countries being targeted. He explains how his team’s technology can gather KYC information and shed some light on the extent these schemes have on the total illicit activity in the industry. Evan even records an update to this episode highlighting the sudden rise of crypto prices, what are the biggest market manipulation concerns for 2024 and new data that his team is seeing that the general public should be aware of. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown (2:27) – Understanding market manipulation in the crypto world and what Cloudburst Technologies is doing about it (4:35) – How to identify the illicit actors on dark web forums attempting to manipulate the markets (12:30) – How Evan got the name “The Terrorist Search Engine” and how he helped build up leading dark web intelligence firm, Flashpoint (15:21) – How millions of people in dark web forums and Telegram are organizing themselves to pump certain tokens 50% up to 500%  (20:49) – Applying Cloudburst technology to traditional commodity markets and large market cap tokens (28:00) – Are illicit actors targeting decentralized exchanges and protocols or just centralized exchanges (30:05) - How Cloudburst is able to identify KYC on illicit actors across the dark web using OSINT (33:25) - Where are illicit actors operating and the biggest market manipulation concerns for 2024 Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: Cloudburst: Crypto is Risky, Invest in Intelligence  Report: Bankrolling Terror: Iran's Role in Fundraising and Recruiting for Hamas Post-10/7 Report: The Chainalysis 2024 Crypto Crime Report (Download Today) Event: Chainalysis Links Conference NYC 2024 (Apr. 9-10, 2024) - Early Bird Pricing On Now! Blog: 54% of ERC-20 Tokens Listed on DEXes in 2023 Display Patterns That May Be Suggestive of Pump and Dump Schemes, but Represent just 1.3% of DEX Trading Volume Blog: 2023 Cryptocurrency Gains by Country 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)  Evan Kohlmann (Founder and CEO, Cloudburst Technologies) 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.  

Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) and other experts discuss the Pig Butchering scam's exponential growth in Southeast Asia, tied to human trafficking and forced labor. They highlight tactics used by international criminals, challenges in combating the crime, and stress collaboration as key to prevention. The podcast delves into the neglect by authorities and the importance of public-private partnerships in tackling this billion-dollar criminal operation.

Ian Andrews, Eric Jardine, and Kim Grauer from Chainalysis discuss the 2024 Crypto Crime Report revealing trends like Tornado Cash resurgence, record ransomware payouts, and stablecoin use. They delve into evolving ransomware landscape, DeFi platform security, and the impact of sanctions. The conversation also touches on market manipulation, law enforcement interventions, and challenges in tracking scams in the crypto space.

Whether it is seizing restaurants, hotels, cars or Bitcoin, our guest, Joanna Summers, Chief Recovery Officer of Asset Reality, has done it all with over a decade of experience working in both the public and private sector on complex asset forfeitures. In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO at Chainalysis) speaks to Joanna about developing asset forfeiture programs for countries all over the world and working with the Asset Reality team on their new platform to streamline the asset seizure process. Joanna shares her history at the US Marshal Service Asset Forfeiture Division and how cryptocurrency slowly started to play a bigger role in investigations and seizures, including major cases like Silk Road. Joanna also explains why she has recently taken on a role as an ambassador for the Association for Women in Crypto and the importance of having women's voices in the tech and crypto sector be amplified. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown (2:15) - The role of asset forfeiture and the process of seizing and selling complex assets (6:40) - Joanna's first encounter with cryptocurrency during 2013 Silk Road investigation (8:55) - Joining Asset Reality and helping countries improve their asset forfeiture programs (13:13) - The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) focus on global asset recovery (17:21) - The digital asset recovery procedures and importance of moving crypto quickly into law enforcement controlled wallets (21:40) - The emergence of pig butchering scams and how to protect consumers (26:15) - Joanna’s role as an ambassador for the Association for Women in Crypto Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: The Future of Seized Assets: Asset Reality is the seized asset management platform Publication: Amendments to the FATF Standards to Strengthen Global Asset Recovery News: Asset Reality Integrates with Fireblocks for Digital Asset Custody Website: The association for  WOMEN IN CRYPTO learn. network. advocate. Event: Chainalysis Links Conference NYC 2024 (Apr. 9-10, 2024) - New Training Sessions Added Blog: U.S. and U.K. Disrupt Lockbit Ransomware Group and Indict Two Russian Nationals While OFAC Levies Sanctions 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)  Joanna Summers (Chief Recovery Officer, Asset Reality)  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.   

Corey Then from Circle and policy expert Caroline Malcolm discuss stablecoin regulations, USDC's role in the digital asset ecosystem, global regulatory landscape, competition with CBDCs, and potential for stablecoins in economies facing inflation or capital controls.

In this episode, experts discuss the excitement around early-stage blockchain investing and the importance of passionate founders. They highlight two companies making waves in the industry: LunarCrush and Ownera. The potential of blockchain to revolutionize traditional industries and challenges with the accredited investor rule are also explored.

Nicola Staub, CEO of CYBERA, shares insights on combating crypto scams through reporting platforms. Discussions include the importance of speed in asset recovery, the role of AI in scams, and the need for collaboration among financial institutions. Topics also cover the shift in fraud methods, CYBERA's impact, and differentiation from recovery companies.

Ian Andrews, CMO at Chainalysis, and Raz Niv, Co-founder and CTO at Blockaid, discuss the Ledger supply chain attack in web3, Blockaid's mission to provide security tools against malicious d'apps, partnerships with MetaMask and OpenSea, data collection on malicious d'apps, dangers of address poisoning attacks, and the highest fund loss per capita in the web3 industry.

Hooray !! Spot Bitcoin ETFs are finally approved by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) in what is being called a watershed moment for crypto. Now what happens? In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) sits down with Jeffrey Billingham (Strategic Initiatives, Chainalysis) who has been watching the Bitcoin ETF situation unfold since the Winklevoss twins first filed for a bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) in July 2013. Jeff and Ian delve into the significance of these ETFs, explaining how they simplify access to bitcoin as an asset class and eliminate the technological hurdles of owning and transacting with cryptocurrency. Jeff also explores the difference between spot and futures ETFs, the role of custodians and authorized participants, and the impact of surveillance-sharing agreements on market manipulation concerns. They cover the immediate impact of these ETFs on the trading volume of Bitcoin and hypothesize on the future of ETFs and the potential for asset tokenization. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown (2:13) - Overview of the launch of Bitcoin ETFs and significant trade volume (4:43) - Explanation of what an ETF is and its significance of it being a Spot Bitcoin ETF (9:20) - Understanding ETF stakeholders like authorized participants, sponsors and custodians  (11:40) - Impact of cash model for ETF transactions and hope for future in-kind transactions (15:24) - Regulatory concerns about market manipulation and fraud (18:23) - Surveillance-sharing agreements and increased transparency to secure SEC approvals (20:51) - Maturation of crypto as an asset class and its implications on original Bitcoin ethos (24:05) - Potential influence of ETFs on real-world asset tokenization  (26:18) - Expectations for the future of ETFs Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website:  Chainalysis: Paving the way for a global economy built on blockchains Article: CNBC: Bitcoin ETFs have a key difference from their stock fund counterparts Article: Blockworks: How ‘surveillance-sharing’ is designed to deter bitcoin ETF manipulation Blog: CSAM and Cryptocurrency: On-chain Analysis Suggests CSAM Vendors May Benefit from Privacy Coins like Monero and Other Obfuscation Measures Announcement: SEC's official X/Twitter account compromised Conference: Chainalysis Links NYC 2024 Conference (Early Bird Pricing Expires Soon) Blog - 2024 Crypto Crime Trends: Illicit Activity Down as Scamming and Stolen Funds Fall, But Ransomware and Darknet Markets See Growth YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: BuildCareers at Chainalysising trust in blockchain Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram  Speakers on today’s episode Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)  Jeffrey Billingham (Strategic Initiatives, 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.  

Henri Arslanian, crypto media personality and thought leader, discusses the stringent regulatory framework in Dubai for crypto hedge funds. He also talks about the challenges and opportunities faced by crypto asset managers during market downturns, the growing role of stablecoins and DeFi in the industry, and his top crypto predictions for 2023. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the metaverse, crypto gaming, and the need to utilize TradFi's best practices.