TRM Labs hires Special Agent who led Bitfinex hack investigation
“Chris is one of the world’s most accomplished cryptocurrency investigators; most importantly, he is passionate about our mission and shares our values.”
TRM Labs has appointed former IRS-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Special Agent Chris Janczewski as Head of Global Investigations at the provider of cryptocurrency anti-money laundering (AML) and investigations software.
Chris Janczewski brings unique investigative expertise to the blockchain intelligence company and will lead a talented team of former law enforcement and private sector organizations, including U.S. Secret Service, FBI, Europol, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Refinitiv.
Janczewski recovered $3.6b in crypto: the largest seizure ever in the US
Chris Janczewski, Head of Global Investigations at TRM Labs, said: “I am devoted to making crypto safer and more accessible for everyone. In joining TRM Labs, I will leverage my experience working on challenging cases, and together with equally passionate and skilled teammates, we will assist public and private entities worldwide to drive the sector forward using the best blockchain forensics tools.”
Esteban Castano, CEO at TRM Labs, said: “Chris is one of the world’s most accomplished cryptocurrency investigators; most importantly, he is passionate about our mission and shares our values. At TRM Labs we are building a first-class team to innovate on our industry-leading product. We’re thrilled to have Chris joining our mission to build a safer crypto economy for all.”
Chris Janczewski joins TRM Labs from IRS-CI, where he was a Special Agent at the Cyber Crimes Unit, where he was the lead agent in the Bitfinex hack investigation. He focused on the alleged conspiracy of two individuals to launder $4.5 billion in cryptocurrency stolen during 2016.
He Janczewski signed a seizure warrant that recovered $3.6 billion in cryptocurrency, the largest seizure in United States government history.
Other important cryptocurrency-related criminal investigations led by Janczewski include “Welcome to Video”, a worldwide takedown of the largest marketplace for child exploitation material, which resulted in the rescue of 25 children; and the investigation of multiple cryptocurrency exchange hacks attributed to North Korea, resulting in charges against two Chinese cybercriminals for laundering over $100 million in crypto, as well as global efforts to disrupt Hamas, Al Qaeda, and ISIS cryptocurrency terrorist financing networks.
He was also involved in the investigation, operations planning, and/or arrests related to the Silk Road Market, AlphaBay Market, and Helix Mixer.
TRM’s Global Investigations team acts as a horizon scanning unit for crypto crime threats, proactively tracking and investigating exploits such as hacks and scams.
Customers, including crypto exchanges and financial institutions, can use the firm’s solutions to detect exposure to illicit activity as it happens, and public sector clients including law enforcement agencies to identify trends and emerging threat vectors in the crypto ecosystem.
TRM’s global investigations team also provides investigative support as a professional service and crypto crime training courses, including a new investigator certification course, the firm announced.
