Cryptocurrency Seizure and Forfeiture Training Course

Cryptocurrency Seizure and Forfeiture Training Course

Introduction

The rise of digital currencies has revolutionized financial systems, creating both innovative opportunities and unprecedented challenges in law enforcement and asset recovery. As cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins gain global traction, criminal networks have exploited their decentralized and pseudonymous features to launder illicit proceeds, finance terrorism, and evade detection. In response, global regulators, investigators, and legal practitioners must stay ahead of evolving blockchain-based financial crimes. Cryptocurrency Seizure and Forfeiture Training Course equips professionals with the critical tools, techniques, and legal frameworks needed to effectively investigate, seize, and forfeit crypto assets within the bounds of national and international law.

Designed for law enforcement, financial crime investigators, prosecutors, compliance officers, and digital forensic experts, this course blends real-world case studies with technical simulations. Participants will learn how to trace cryptocurrency transactions, secure digital wallets, navigate blockchain forensics, and collaborate across jurisdictions. By the end of the course, learners will possess actionable skills for effective digital asset seizure and build resilience against crypto-enabled crimes in the era of decentralized finance (DeFi).

Course Objectives

Learners will:

1. Understand the legal foundations of cryptocurrency seizure under national and international law.
2. Identify the technical mechanisms of blockchain forensics and transaction tracing.
3. Recognize how criminals use mixers, privacy coins, and DeFi protocols to obscure asset trails.
4. Learn procedures for wallet recovery and private key extraction during investigations.
5. Analyze case law and legal precedents governing digital asset forfeiture.
6. Understand cross-border enforcement and jurisdictional challenges in crypto seizure.
7. Evaluate chain analysis tools like Chainalysis, CipherTrace, and TRM Labs.
8. Develop digital evidence collection strategies for crypto-related crimes.
9. Design a risk-based compliance framework for financial institutions.
10. Collaborate with regulatory and law enforcement agencies across borders.
11. Understand cold wallet storage, multi-sig wallets, and custody solutions.
12. Build institutional capacity for crypto crime investigation and prosecution.
13. Apply blockchain intelligence to prevent and detect money laundering.

Target Audience

1. Law Enforcement Officers
2. Financial Crime Investigators
3. Prosecutors and Legal Advisors
4. Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Analysts
5. Compliance Officers in Financial Institutions
6. Blockchain Forensics Experts
7. Cybercrime Units
8. Intelligence and National Security Agencies

Course Duration: 10 days

Course Modules

Module 1: Introduction to Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology

• Overview of digital currencies and blockchain principles
• Types of cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Altcoins, Privacy coins
• How transactions work: wallet addresses, hashes, blocks
• Role of decentralization in anonymous transactions
• Introduction to smart contracts and decentralized finance (DeFi)
• Case Study: Silk Road and the role of Bitcoin in dark web markets

Module 2: Legal Foundations of Cryptocurrency Seizure

• Laws enabling asset seizure in digital environments
• Differences between seizure, freezing, and forfeiture
• Civil vs criminal forfeiture statutes
• Constitutional and human rights considerations
• International conventions and treaties
• Case Study: United States vs. 50 BTC — Legal basis for seizure under U.S. Code

Module 3: Investigative Framework for Crypto Crimes

• Intelligence gathering and incident response
• Open-source intelligence (OSINT) and darknet monitoring
• Using blockchain explorers and on-chain analytics
• Collaboration with crypto exchanges and custodians
• Crypto crime typologies: ransomware, fraud, tax evasion
• Case Study: Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and asset recovery

Module 4: Wallet Identification and Tracing

• Wallet types: hot, cold, hardware, and multi-sig
• Identifying custodial vs non-custodial wallets
• Transaction chain tracing methodologies
• Behavioral analytics in wallet clustering
• Red flag indicators for suspicious wallet activity
• Case Study: TRM Labs and the identification of terrorist wallets

Module 5: Blockchain Forensics Tools

• Overview of Chainalysis, CipherTrace, and Elliptic
• Features and comparative analysis of major tools
• Data visualization and flow mapping
• Risk scoring and compliance alerts
• Evidence extraction and reporting
• Case Study: Use of Chainalysis Reactor in a darknet takedown

Module 6: DeFi, Mixers, and Privacy Coins

• Risks associated with Tornado Cash and Wasabi Wallet
• How mixers work to anonymize transaction trails
• Privacy coins: Monero, ZCash, Dash
• DeFi smart contract exploits and frauds
• Techniques to trace hidden assets in these platforms
• Case Study: The OFAC sanctioning of Tornado Cash

Module 7: Private Key Management & Wallet Access

• What is a private key and how it secures funds
• Brute force, social engineering, and subpoena methods
• Seizing hardware wallets and device encryption
• Chain of custody in handling digital evidence
• Risks of key mismanagement and loss
• Case Study: German police recover 1,700 BTC without the private key

Module 8: Jurisdictional Challenges in Crypto Seizure

• Borderless nature of blockchain transactions
• Legal tools: MLATs, INTERPOL notices, Europol coordination
• Conflicts of law between privacy rights and enforcement
• Differences in regulation by region
• Importance of asset freezing orders (AFOs)
• Case Study: Multinational seizure of $90M in crypto linked to drug cartels

Module 9: Digital Evidence Preservation

• Standards for forensic collection of digital assets
• Metadata preservation and chain of custody
• Use of write blockers and forensic imaging
• Avoiding evidence contamination
• Building admissible evidence for court proceedings
• Case Study: Admissibility challenges in UK crypto case R v. Jamal

Module 10: Crypto Exchanges and Custodial Compliance

• Role of exchanges in Know Your Customer (KYC) and AML
• Working with centralized vs decentralized platforms
• Subpoena and cooperation protocols
• Red flags in account behavior
• Regulatory requirements for VASPs (Virtual Asset Service Providers)
• Case Study: Binance cooperation with international asset seizures

Module 11: Civil and Criminal Forfeiture Proceedings

• Filing complaints and petitions
• Proving traceability and ownership
• Third-party claims and rights
• Asset repatriation and restitution
• Managing auction or liquidation of crypto
• Case Study: US Marshals’ auction of seized Bitcoin

Module 12: Cross-Border Collaboration Techniques

• Establishing joint investigative task forces
• Using Europol’s SIENA and INTERPOL’s I-24/7
• Shared databases and risk intelligence platforms
• Diplomatic channels for asset recovery
• Importance of bilateral agreements
• Case Study: Joint U.S.–South Korea operation on crypto fraud syndicate

Module 13: Crypto Seizure in Counterterrorism and Sanctions Enforcement

• Use of crypto in terrorist financing
• OFAC compliance and wallet blacklisting
• Proactive monitoring of flagged wallets
• Crypto and state-sponsored cyber operations
• National security and strategic policy responses
• Case Study: U.S. DOJ seizure of Iranian government-linked wallets

Module 14: Institutional Capacity Building

• Creating internal SOPs for crypto investigations
• Inter-agency coordination models
• Policy frameworks and legal reforms
• Building technical skills and tools in-house
• Budgeting and staffing for blockchain crime units
• Case Study: UK National Crime Agency’s new Crypto Cell

Module 15: Final Assessment & Simulation

• Live simulation of crypto tracing and seizure
• Legal analysis workshop
• Evidence presentation in mock courtroom
• Team-based taskforce problem solving
• Final written evaluation and certification
• Case Study: Full scenario based on a multi-national Ponzi scheme using crypto

Training Methodology

• Expert-led lectures using real-world examples and visuals
• Hands-on workshops with forensic tools and tracing platforms
• Case study analysis integrated into every module
• Simulated seizure exercises and roleplay
• Collaborative breakout sessions to solve complex scenarios
• Assessments and certification exam at course end

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@datastatresearch.org or call +254724527104 

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally- recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

 We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

a. The participant must be conversant with English.

b. Upon completion of training the participant will be issued with an Authorized Training Certificate

c. Course duration is flexible and the contents can be modified to fit any number of days.

d. The course fee includes facilitation training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch and A Certificate upon successful completion of Training.

e. One-year post-training support Consultation and Coaching provided after the course.

f. Payment should be done at least a week before commence of the training, to DATASTAT CONSULTANCY LTD account, as indicated in the invoice so as to enable us prepare better for you.