US National Network of Prosecutors to Fight Crypto Crimes
The US Department of Justice forms a specialized team to fight crypto-crimes. 150 top federal prosecutors are specializing in such violations as terrorist financing, money laundering, theft and extortion.
Crypto crimes are specific offenses that require law enforcement officials to have fundamental knowledge in many areas. The US Department of Justice has formed the National Network of Prosecutors to investigate digital assets-related crimes due to the increase in the number of incidents in recent years.
Eun Yong Choi, the first Director of the National Network, emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of crypto-crimes. It requires law enforcement officers to be competent not only in legal but also in technical matters.
The tasks of the specialized department of crypto crime include:
The National Network consists of 150 highly trained civil, tax, criminal, environmental and national security officers.
Law enforcement officials and government regulators are confident that anonymity, provided by many crypto platforms, is one of the main reasons for the spread of crypto crimes. Despite stricter regulation of digital assets, criminal prosecution remains the only effective way to deal with the perpetrators.
The Department of Justice is currently developing regulatory and legislative measures aimed at providing more opportunities for crypto crime investigators to collect evidence and initiate criminal proceedings.
Eun Young-choi believes that there may be a need to update the legislation in the future, while the President’s Administration calls for further research and analysis of digital asset markets.