Writing about blockchain security and blockchain forensics. Follow me on Twitter for the latest insights.

Decoding Meme Coin Chaos: Tracing the Masterminds Behind Crypto Pump-and-Dumps
PERSEUS exposes how masterminds manipulate meme coins in pump-and-dump schemes using AI and social networks like Telegram. The wild world of cryptocurrency is no stranger to chaos, speculation, and, unfortunately, manipulation. One of the most infamous tactics? The age-old “pump-and-dump” scheme — reimagined for the digital age. In their 2025 paper, “PERSEUS: Tracing the Masterminds Behind Cryptocurrency Pump-and-Dump Schemes,” authors Honglin Fu, Yebo Feng, Cong Wu, and Jiahua Xu go beyond m...

Decoding Meme Coin Chaos: Tracing the Masterminds Behind Crypto Pump-and-Dumps
PERSEUS exposes how masterminds manipulate meme coins in pump-and-dump schemes using AI and social networks like Telegram. The wild world of cryptocurrency is no stranger to chaos, speculation, and, unfortunately, manipulation. One of the most infamous tactics? The age-old “pump-and-dump” scheme — reimagined for the digital age. In their 2025 paper, “PERSEUS: Tracing the Masterminds Behind Cryptocurrency Pump-and-Dump Schemes,” authors Honglin Fu, Yebo Feng, Cong Wu, and Jiahua Xu go beyond m...

ICS 206–01: The New Standard Every OSINT Professional Must Know
Explore ICS 206–01: Essential updates for OSINT pros on AI citations, sourcing rules, retention, and a checklist for seamless compliance.What is an Intelligence Community Standard?A new directive, the Intelligence Community Standard (ICS), has just been released, offering a framework designed to ensure consistency, accuracy, and professionalism across the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). ICS directives provide clear guidelines for processes, methodologies, and workflows, enabling intelligenc...

ICS 206–01: The New Standard Every OSINT Professional Must Know
Explore ICS 206–01: Essential updates for OSINT pros on AI citations, sourcing rules, retention, and a checklist for seamless compliance.What is an Intelligence Community Standard?A new directive, the Intelligence Community Standard (ICS), has just been released, offering a framework designed to ensure consistency, accuracy, and professionalism across the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). ICS directives provide clear guidelines for processes, methodologies, and workflows, enabling intelligenc...

IRS Broker Rule Finalized: Impact on DeFi, Privacy, and Non-Custodial Innovation
Read how the IRS broker rule affects DeFi protocols, non-custodial software providers, and privacy rights. Learn why innovation and decentralization are at risk. The IRS and Department of the Treasury have finalized regulations requiring decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols that facilitate digital asset sales to comply with tax reporting obligations. Set to take effect on January 1, 2027, these rules align DeFi brokers with centralized exchanges by mandating the reporting of user transactio...

IRS Broker Rule Finalized: Impact on DeFi, Privacy, and Non-Custodial Innovation
Read how the IRS broker rule affects DeFi protocols, non-custodial software providers, and privacy rights. Learn why innovation and decentralization are at risk. The IRS and Department of the Treasury have finalized regulations requiring decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols that facilitate digital asset sales to comply with tax reporting obligations. Set to take effect on January 1, 2027, these rules align DeFi brokers with centralized exchanges by mandating the reporting of user transactio...

Using Blockchain to Track Ransomware Threat Actors
Discover how blockchain is used to trace ransomware payments, uncover threat actor infrastructure, and disrupt cybercriminal networks. 2024 has been marked by several high-profile ransomware cases and investigations, underscoring the growing sophistication, aggression, and unpredictability of ransomware attackers. While final figures for the year are still pending, early reports reveal a dramatic surge in ransomware payments, reaching unprecedented levels. In the first half of the year alone,...

Using Blockchain to Track Ransomware Threat Actors
Discover how blockchain is used to trace ransomware payments, uncover threat actor infrastructure, and disrupt cybercriminal networks. 2024 has been marked by several high-profile ransomware cases and investigations, underscoring the growing sophistication, aggression, and unpredictability of ransomware attackers. While final figures for the year are still pending, early reports reveal a dramatic surge in ransomware payments, reaching unprecedented levels. In the first half of the year alone,...

Chain Hopping in Crypto: How to Track Cross-Blockchain Fund Movement
Discover how to trace chain hopping in crypto laundering and watch our video demonstration showing step-by-step tracking across multiple blockchains. Cryptocurrency laundering has grown increasingly sophisticated, with chain hopping emerging as a go-to technique for obfuscating illicit funds. For investigators, this method presents a unique challenge: tracing assets that jump between blockchains. In this article, we’ll break down what chain hopping is, why it’s so effective, and the tools and...

Chain Hopping in Crypto: How to Track Cross-Blockchain Fund Movement
Discover how to trace chain hopping in crypto laundering and watch our video demonstration showing step-by-step tracking across multiple blockchains. Cryptocurrency laundering has grown increasingly sophisticated, with chain hopping emerging as a go-to technique for obfuscating illicit funds. For investigators, this method presents a unique challenge: tracing assets that jump between blockchains. In this article, we’ll break down what chain hopping is, why it’s so effective, and the tools and...