Public Key

The criminal landscape is evolving and nobody knows this better than the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) unit, who has been an international leader when it comes to combating crypto and cyber-related crimes. In this episode, we are lucky to have Jim Lee (Global Head of Capacity Building, Chainalysis), who previously spent almost 30 years in IRS-CI sit down with Jarod Koopman, a leading figure in government law enforcement and the Executive Director of Cyber and Forensic Services at IRS-CI Investigations. The duo discuss the evolving landscape of financial crimes and the crucial role of digital assets and cyber technology, while Jarod shares his extensive experience and how his career shifted towards cyber investigations as cryptocurrencies gained prominence. He explains how IRS-CI stays ahead of crime through an innovative approach to investigations and deep international partnerships and collaborations in law enforcement and highlights the need for authorities around the world to stay on top of emerging typologies and the use of cutting edge AI technology. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Jarod’s early days as a Federal agent working high stakes investigations 4 | The evolution of crime and cryptocurrency's impact on investigations  7 | Challenges in combating cybercrime and crypto-related offenses 11 | Global collaboration in combating crypto-related crimes 17 | International alignment in fighting tax crimes in crypto 22 | Unveiling the new IRS-CI's Advanced Collaboration and Data Center (“ACDC”) 28 | Understanding tax obligations for cryptocurrency gains in the US 32 | Government agencies face challenges amid budget cuts and hiring freezes 34 | Exploring AI and digital assets in financial fraud prevention  38 | Law enforcement's strategic approach to the Metaverse 40 | Emerging blockchain crimes and AI threats in Law Enforcement  Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) serves the American public by investigating potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code and related financial crimes Report: IRS-CI 2024 Annual Report  Article: Taxpayers need to report crypto, other digital asset transactions on their tax return Article: Former security engineer sentenced to three years in prison for hacking two decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges Blog: 2025 Crypto Crime Report Preview: $2.2 Billion Stolen from Crypto Platforms in 2024, but Hacked Volumes Stagnate Toward Year-End as DPRK Slows Activity Post-July Blog: Cryptocurrency in the War Zone: A Closer Look at Recent Events in Syria YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments. Speakers on today’s episode Jim (James) Lee * Host * (Global Head of Capacity Building, Chainalysis)  Jarod Koopman (Executive Director, Cyber and Forensic Services, IRS - Criminal Investigation) 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.   

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, Trump’s incoming administration, and BRICS’ exploration of de-dollarization, have compounded into what might be a pivotal year for alternative payments systems and geopolitics. In this episode, host, Eitan Danon (Content Marketing Manager, Chainalysis) sits down with Tom Keatinge, Director of the Center for Finance and Security (CFS) at RUSI to discuss the intersection of digital assets and geopolitics Tom shares his journey into crypto, highlighting a 2011 Bitcoin meetup in crypto OGs and explains RUSI's history and its focus on financial crime and state-based threats, emphasizing the role of alternative payment systems in geopolitical competition, particularly in the context of sanctions evasion. He highlights  the increasing state-based activity in financial crime and the strategic importance of the global payment system, including the weaponization of SWIFT, the development of CBDCs and the potential impact of the incoming Trump administration on international financial relations. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Tom’s early journey into crypto in 2012 as an academic  4 | The origins of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and the creation of the Centre for Finance and Security (CFS) 6 | The strategic role of alternative payment systems in global security 10 | Sanctions and the impact it has on Russia and international alternative payment systems  14 | BRICs and the realities of de-dollarization in global markets 18 | Global financial alliances and increase of western strategic challenges 23 | The future of digital currencies and global economic shifts 27 |  Global financial threats and strategic economic security challenges 31 | RUSI’s focus for 2025 on sanctions, terrorist financing and Europe’s economic challenges Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: RUSI: The world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defence and security think tank Article: The Other Bitcoin Boom: Crypto Mining in Russia’s Shadow Territories Article: Central Bank Digital Currencies and National Security: Policy Considerations Blog: OFAC Highlights Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Cryptocurrency Transactions Related to IRGC-connected Houthi Financier Sa’id al-Jamal Blog: 2025 Crypto Crime Report Preview: $2.2 Billion Stolen from Crypto Platforms in 2024, but Hacked Volumes Stagnate Toward Year-End as DPRK Slows Activity Post-July Press Release: Welcoming Hexagate to Chainalysis and Investing in Prevention 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 Book: Paper Soldiers: How The Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order - by Saleha Mohsin Speakers on today’s episode Eitan Danon * Host * (Content Marketing Manager, Chainalysis)  Tom Keatinge (Director, Centre for Finance & Security (CFS) at RUSI) 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.   

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. This episode was originally published on February 27, 2024 and we have recorded some recent updates from Joanna Summers on the latest crypto scams, FATF's 2025 asset recovery initiatives, and Asset Reality's exciting new training programs and partnerships. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | The role of asset forfeiture and the process of seizing and selling complex assets 6 | Joanna's first encounter with cryptocurrency during 2013 Silk Road investigation 9 | Joining Asset Reality and helping countries improve their asset forfeiture programs 13 | The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) focus on global asset recovery 17 | The digital asset recovery procedures and importance of moving crypto quickly into law enforcement controlled wallets 20 | Updated: FATF’s asset recovery priorities for 2025 22 | The emergence of pig butchering scams and how to protect consumers 26 | Joanna’s role as an ambassador for the Association for Women in Crypto 29 | Updated: New Crypto Crimes including: address poisoning, typo squatting and clipboard hijacking 32 | Updated: Taxbit Partnership and crypto recovery outlook for 2025 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 Partnership: Asset Reality and Taxbit Partner to Enhance Digital Asset Seizure and Management Website: The association for  WOMEN IN CRYPTO learn. network. advocate. Blog: 2025 Crypto Crime Report Preview: $2.2 Billion Stolen from Crypto Platforms in 2024, but Hacked Volumes Stagnate Toward Year-End as DPRK Slows Activity Post-July 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. 

When Tommy Nicholas (CEO of Alloy) wrote a blog titled, Your Fraud Model Is Broken, you had to know he and Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) were going to have a fun and insightful conversation. This episode was originally published on December 5, 2023, where Tommy discussed how early NFTs and Bitcoin transaction speeds got him interested in the space and years later his company Alloy is now servicing Fintechs, Crypto and TradFi companies managing their compliance, AML, credit, and fraud risk. He explains the broken fraud model and the need for a shift in approach to focus on the person rather than just the transaction. He emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability by regulators in the industry and the burdensome requirements placed on the private sector. To share insights since the episode was published last year, we added fresh commentary from Rich Scioli, Alloy's General Manager of Global Fintech. Rich brings us up to speed on the latest in fraud prevention, crypto security, and gives us the real story behind the rise and fall of embedded finance. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown (2:10) - Alloy's role in managing wide variety of risks for companies dealing with money (5:08) - Alloy as an operating system for risk management instead of just another risk solution  (7:23) - The frustration behind the blog "Your Fraud Model is Broken" (14:33) - The burden and costs of money laundering controls on the private sector (18:27) - The inefficiency of processing suspicious activity reports (19:50) - Updated: The State of Embedded Finance Report Key Takeaways  (22:56) - Threat actors taking advantage of online onboarding (30:03) - How Alloy got into the crypto industry and fraudulent practices they have identified (32:15) - Updated: The evolution of fraud going into 2025 and beyond  (33:13) - Involvement in the NFT community and the potential of digital collectibles (36:45) - Updated: Cross border payments, stablecoins and everything in between (42:00) - International look at fraud and compliance for the fintech / crypto industry  (47:00) - Updated: What to look out for from Alloy and the crypto industry  Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website:  Stop fraud, stay compliant, and solve your identity risk problem Report: Alloy's Annual State of Compliance Benchmark Report 2023 Article: Your fraud model is broken Blog: Banks have a friction challenge Report: 2024 State of Embedded Finance Report Report: The 2024 Crypto Maturity Journey: How Traditional Finance Can Adopt Cryptocurrency in Stages Blog: Growth Opportunities: Stablecoins, TradFi Engagement, and Tokenization Lead Web3’s Next Wave 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)  Tommy Nicholas  (CEO, Alloy) Rich Scioli (General Manager of Global Fintech, Alloy) 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.