Course Outline
Foundations of Blockchain Technology
Decentralization, openness, and transparency as architectural properties.
Cryptographic primitives securing the chain: hashing, digital signatures, and Merkle trees.
Consensus mechanisms: Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, and emerging alternatives.
Nodes, miners, validators, and the topology of a live network.
Cryptocurrency Landscape
Bitcoin and the original ledger model.
Ethereum and account-based smart contract execution.
Privacy-oriented chains: Monero, Zcash, and how they differ from transparent ledgers.
Stablecoins, altchains, and their role in illicit flows.
Hands-On Lab - Reading the Blockchain
Connecting to Bitcoin and Ethereum nodes for live data access.
Navigating block explorers and querying live transactions.
Reading raw transactions, scripts, and smart contract calls.
Mapping a wallet's history on a transparent chain.
Wallets, Keys, and Transaction Mechanics
Wallet taxonomy: web, desktop, mobile, hardware, custodial versus non-custodial.
Seed phrases, key derivation, and recovery vectors.
UTXO versus account-based transaction models.
Addresses, change outputs, and transaction graphs from a tracer's perspective.
Mining and Trading as Investigative Context
Mining mechanics, pools, hash rate, and how mining is exploited to launder or originate funds.
Centralized exchanges, decentralized exchanges, and over-the-counter desks.
KYC and AML controls at exchanges and where they break down.
How trading patterns can mask underlying corruption flows.
Smart Contracts and DeFi Surface
What smart contracts are and how their state is observable on-chain.
DeFi primitives: swaps, lending, liquidity pools, and yield farming.
Cross-chain bridges and wrapped assets as obfuscation tools.
Reading contract interactions for investigative signal.
Hands-On Lab - Wallet and Transaction Forensics
Inspecting hardware and software wallets in a controlled environment.
Recovering and analyzing artifacts from seized devices.
Reconstructing transaction graphs across UTXO and account-based chains.
Address Clustering and Attribution
Common-input clustering and other industry-standard heuristics.
Change-output detection and behavioral fingerprints.
Linking on-chain entities to off-chain identities through OSINT.
Combining web crawling, social, and leaked data sources for attribution.
Dark Web, Marketplaces, and Criminal Cryptocurrency Flows
Mapping criminal economies on dark web marketplaces.
Common typologies: scams, fraud, contraband, sanctions evasion.
Tracking proceeds from initial deposit through cash-out points.
Indicators of corruption-linked crypto activity.
Privacy-Enhancing Tools and Counter-Forensics
Mixers, tumblers, and CoinJoin implementations.
Privacy coins and the limits of public-chain tracing.
Cross-chain bridges and asset wrapping as obfuscation layers.
What tracing can and cannot recover under each technique.
Hands-On Lab - Tracing a Suspect Wallet
Using open-source tools to follow a complex transaction graph.
Clustering a wallet network and assigning confidence to attribution.
Documenting findings as a structured intelligence package.
Money Laundering Typologies in Crypto
Placement, layering, and integration adapted to digital assets.
Layering through decentralized exchanges, bridges, and mixers.
DeFi protocols as laundering surfaces and how to read them.
Cash-out vectors: peer-to-peer markets, OTC desks, and prepaid instruments.
Ransomware, Theft, and Scam Response
Ransomware payment patterns and immediate response steps.
Negotiation and recovery practices, with limits and risks.
Exchange hacks, rug pulls, phishing, and large-scale theft analysis.
Working with victims to preserve evidence without compromising the investigation.
Cross-Chain Investigation
Tracing assets across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and EVM-compatible chains.
Following funds through bridges and wrapped tokens.
Reconciling on-chain evidence with exchange and off-chain records.
Hands-On Simulation - Corruption Investigation Lab
Simulated bribery flow across multiple chains and a mixer.
Building a coherent narrative from fragmented on-chain evidence.
Producing chain-of-custody documentation for digital evidence.
AML Compliance and the Legal Landscape
FATF guidance, the Travel Rule, and jurisdictional differences.
AML and KYC obligations across virtual asset service providers.
Sanctions, politically exposed persons, and corruption-relevant typologies.
Integrating cryptocurrency findings into existing compliance programs.
Working with Exchanges and Cross-Border Partners
Subpoenas, MLATs, and information-sharing channels.
Freezing orders, asset preservation, and seizure procedures.
Coordinating cryptocurrency tracing with traditional financial investigation lines.
Digital Evidence and Courtroom Readiness
Chain of custody for cryptocurrency artifacts and on-chain evidence.
Presenting blockchain evidence to non-technical decision-makers and juries.
Common challenges to digital evidence and how to defend findings.
Working with expert witnesses and external technical advisors.
Capstone - End-to-End Corruption Inquiry Simulation
Working from initial intelligence tip through full investigation.
Building the wallet network, attribution, and timeline.
Engaging exchanges and cross-border partners.
Producing a courtroom-ready report and oral briefing.
Summary and Next Steps
Requirements
- Intermediate technical proficiency, including knowledge of networking and basic Linux command-line operations.
- Functional understanding of cryptographic concepts such as hashing and public-key encryption.
- Background in financial investigation, cybersecurity, forensics, or compliance.
- Familiarity with at least one scripting language is beneficial but not mandatory.
- General comprehension of financial transactions and AML principles.
Target Audience
Investigators and forensic analysts within anti-corruption agencies, financial crime units, and law enforcement. Cybersecurity specialists supporting fraud, AML, and digital evidence functions. Compliance and risk professionals operating in regulated environments with increasing cryptocurrency exposure.
Testimonials (2)
- like the blockchain introduction. For a blockchain newbie like me, its englighten me. - Like the technical workshop, also interesting
Muhammad Lutfi Budiansyah - PT Digital Daya Teknologi
Course - Web3 Engineering & Supply Chain Finance Architecture
I really enjoy the training with Patrick. He is clearly very knowledgeable on various topics related to blockchain. He explains really well.
