Blockchain Tracing: The U.S. Government’s Newest Tool to Combat Foreign Crime
On May 13, 2022, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui of the District of Columbia took the unusual step of unsealing and issuing a Memorandum Opinion captioned “In Re: Criminal Complaint” to explain the court’s conclusion that probable cause existed to authorize a federal criminal complaint against an individual for transmitting over $10 million worth of bitcoin between the United States and an Office of Foreign Assets Control–sanctioned nation, violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and defrauding the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
Institutional Investor’s Introduction to Blockchain and Digital Asset Investing
Article I: Digital Asset Overview and Methods to Gain Exposure to Digital Assets
Given the growth of markets for cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-based assets, often referred to as “digital assets,” we see growing interest from traditional investment managers in gaining exposure to this emerging asset class. We have seen development of many new products and service offerings to facilitate institutional investment in digital assets over the past year. With the recent announcement of the first bitcoin-exchange traded fund, this week, we expect continued and expansive growth in this area. This article aims to serve as an introductory guide to digital asset investing for institutional investors by describing at a high level the available service offerings and potential avenues for investment managers to gain exposure to the digital assets space.
