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  • How to Move from Investment Banking to Blockchain Forensics?

    Abdil Hamid

    Member

    Updated: Mar 21, 2025
    Views: 912

    I’ve spent the last 12 years working in forensic investigations over in investment banking. My day-to-day usually involves sniffing out financial fraud, picking apart shady transactions, and assessing risks.

    Lately, I’ve been itching to pivot into blockchain forensics, especially for tackling fraud and money laundering. For those already in the field:

    1. How do you think my background in traditional finance could translate to blockchain stuff? Any overlap in skills or mindset?

    2. What certs or tools should I prioritize? I’ve seen things like Chainalysis or CipherTrace pop up—are those must-haves?

    3. Are there specific areas in blockchain forensics that play well with financial crime work? Like following dirty money trails or scam patterns?

    4. Any go-to resources, courses, or communities to help a newbie get up to speed?

    Appreciate any advice—thanks!

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  • Varun Mehta

    Member • 4mos

    Transitioning to blockchain forensics from financial crime investigation is a practical and rewarding choice. Here’s a detailed guide to help:

    Apply Your Current Skills: Your experience in tracing financial transactions is highly relevant. Blockchain forensics involves following money flows on public ledgers to detect fraud, money laundering, and other crimes. Your ability to link transactions to entities gives you an advantage.

    Learn Blockchain Basics: Understand how blockchains record transactions, use cryptographic hashes, and validate data. Study Bitcoin’s UTXO model and Ethereum’s smart contract functionality. This knowledge helps in interpreting blockchain activity accurately.

    Master Forensic Tools: Tools like Chainalysis, Elliptic, CipherTrace, and TRM Labs simplify blockchain investigations. These platforms visualize transactions and identify wallet connections. Learn to use blockchain explorers like Etherscan for manual checks. Programming skills, particularly in Python and SQL, are essential for analyzing blockchain data efficiently.

    Earn Certifications: Certifications such as Chainalysis Reactor or Certified Blockchain Expert (CBE) are highly valuable. They provide practical knowledge and signal expertise to employers. Advanced courses in digital forensics or cryptocurrency tracing can further strengthen your profile.

    Focus on Key Areas: Blockchain forensics addresses challenges like ransomware payments, darknet marketplace tracking, and DeFi exploits. Research how mixers, tumblers, and privacy coins complicate investigations and how to mitigate these issues.

    Stay Updated and Network: Join forums, attend webinars, and follow case studies to stay current on blockchain forensic techniques. Networking with professionals can open doors to career opportunities and collaborative learning.

    This structured approach will help you successfully transition and excel in blockchain forensics.

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  • Abdil Hamid

    Member • 4mos

    Thanks Varun for sharing your insights. Are there specific forums or communities that are particularly helpful for networking and staying updated in blockchain forensics?

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  • Varun Mehta

    Member • 4mos

    Yes Abdil, there are many communities where you can engage with like minded professionals Online Forums Reddit

    r/CryptoCurrency: General cryptocurrency discussions with forensic insights. r/Bitcoin: Focused on Bitcoin, often touching on transaction analysis. r/BlockchainForensics: Specialized in blockchain forensic discussions. Bitcointalk

    An established forum for Bitcoin discussions, often including investigative techniques and tools. Stack Exchange (Bitcoin.SE)

    A Q&A platform with technical threads about blockchain analysis. Professional Networks LinkedIn Groups

    Groups like Blockchain Forensics and Analytics or Crypto and Blockchain Investigations host discussions about compliance and investigations. Telegram and Discord Communities

    Telegram channels, such as Chainalysis Discussion, focus on forensic tools. Discord servers, like Blockchain Devs or CryptoSecurity, include topics on blockchain tracing and investigations. Industry Platforms Blockchain Intelligence Group

    Offers webinars and collaboration spaces for forensic professionals. Elliptic and Chainalysis Communities

    These tools provide user groups and forums for sharing insights and strategies. ACAMS Cryptocurrency Compliance

    A compliance-focused community that overlaps with blockchain forensic interests. Developer and Technical Platforms GitHub

    Hosts repositories of blockchain forensic tools and resources. Users share insights and troubleshoot together. Ethereum Community Forum

    A resource for Ethereum-specific analysis and forensic questions. OpenZeppelin

    Primarily focused on smart contract security but includes content relevant to forensics. Events and Meetups Blockchain Forensics Meetups

    Available on platforms like Meetup.com for local and virtual networking. Compliance Conferences

    Events like Consensus or AML-focused cryptocurrency summits feature sessions on blockchain forensics.

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