From Finance Fraud Investigations to Blockchain Forensics Careers: Can Banking Experience Transfer to Crypto?

If you’re coming from financial crime investigations, moving into blockchain forensics actually makes a lot of sense. A lot of what you already do like tracing money flows, spotting suspicious activity, connecting transactions to real entities It carries over pretty well, the only difference is that here it’s on public ledgers instead of closed banking systems.

To get started, I’d suggest brushing up on blockchain basics. You don’t need to become a protocol engineer, but you should understand how transactions are recorded, what UTXOs are in Bitcoin, and how smart contracts work on Ethereum. That background will make it easier to read on-chain activity.

Next, it’s worth exploring tools like Chainalysis, CipherTrace, or TRM Labs. They make wallet tracing and visualizing flows a lot easier, though you should also practice with free explorers like Etherscan. If you’re comfortable with Python or SQL, that will help a lot when you need to go deeper than the tools.

Certifications can help too. it not so much for knowledge (you can learn a lot by self-study) but because employers often look for them as a signal. Chainalysis Reactor training is a good one, and there are a few broader blockchain forensic/digital investigation courses out there.

And finally, keep an eye on areas like ransomware, darknet transactions, or DeFi exploits. Those are the kinds of cases investigators are often pulled into. Joining communities, reading case studies, and following industry updates will give you a sense of how people actually solve these problems.

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

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.

More threads to read How to start career in blockchain forensics and scams?

https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/getting-started-in-blockchain-forensics-fraud-with-a-background-in-cyber

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