During the two-day training for journalists, civic activists and IT experts, Israeli crypto expert Amit Levin presented models of how cryptocurrencies can be misused for money laundering and suspicious transactions.
Levin introduced participants to the fundamentals of blockchain technology and provided an overview of cryptocurrencies in the context of financial crime. He presented models explaining why virtual assets are appealing to illicit actors and demonstrated methods to trace basic transaction flows and identify linked addresses.
Levin is a former prosecutor in Israel’s State Attorney’s Office, where he led the Economics Department of the Cyber Unit. He prosecuted cases involving money laundering and terrorist financing using virtual currencies.
During the training, participants also shared ideas for investigative stories and a policy paper on threats posed by digital assets and malign foreign influences.
On June 14, BIRN Montenegro organised a follow-up training for representatives of the state prosecution and judiciary during which Levin presented models of financial investigations involving cryptocurrencies in Israel. This training was organised in cooperation with the Centre for Education in Judiciary and State Prosecution.