You knew this was coming.  A course in cryptocurrency investigations.  There is no faster and comprehensive method to learn cryptocurrency investigations than to take a class in it and study a book about it.   As the book is being written, the course is being developed alongside the book as a companion to the book.  If you have not come across cryptocurrency in your investigations yet, I promise you that you will soon enough.  When it does show up, and you are not prepared, your case is not going to get the full attention needed if you are not already prepared.

"Bitcoin" has been in the news more and more lately.  You probably have already heard of Bitcoin, but may not actually own any, nor understand how it works.  The intention of both the book and course is to give you the 'need to know' information of what it is and also the 'must know' information of how to investigate cryptocurrency.  Cryptocurrency is much more than just Bitcoin.  Way way much more.  The entire blockchain universe has begun to change the way data and records (and currency!) are being created and maintained.   In your lifetime, there will not be an investigation where some aspect of the blockchain and cryptocurrency is not a part, whether it be a tangent to your case or instrumental to it.  Criminal and civil investigations both.  Crimes from petty theft to murder.  You will see aspects of the blockchain in most everything.

Bitcoin Forensics | Investigating Cryptocurrency Crimes

But don't worry.  This book, the first book to be conceived and to be published on this subject, is covering all of it.  And if you want to see demonstrations, follow along with exercises, and actually trace transactions online in real-time, this course that will compliment the book is for you.

You may be able to tell that I am really excited about this book and course.  I am actually excited about the changes to investigations as we know it today due to the blockchain.  You cannot ignore the future in your cases and how this technology is changing everything.  Money laundering is a whole new world with cryptocurrency.  From small time street dealers to international drug trafficking organizations, the time is not only coming near, but is already here.  If you have read any of my previous investigative books, you know that I cover not only the things you can only do with search warrants, but also the things that you can do without any court order.  This applies to both civil and criminal cases, as many times you can get exactly what you need in a timely fashion when you know exactly where to look and what to look for, when it is publicly available.  That is the intention of both this book and course.  Deep dive into the operating system to find the crypto artifacts and hop online to trace the transactions from their origin to destinations. 

The Bitcoin Forensic book is moving forward with a fantastic addition of a tech editor: Heather Mahalik!.  I could not be more honored than to have Heather as the tech editor.  If you are reading this, you already know who Heather is in the DFIR community, but if not, take a look here: Heather's Bio.

A few things about the book.

Yes, it is tentatively titled “Bitcoin Forensics”, but the subtitle is “Cryptocurrency Investigations”.  The intention is to not only cover Bitcoin, but the alternative coins (altcoins) as well.   Coins such as Litecoin and Monero will be in the book because few investigations will have only one coin involved since converting from one coin to another in attempts to launder proceeds will most likely occur in every fraud investigation.  I've had a few conversations about the anonymous coins, where tracing transactions is 'impossible'.   There is always something you can do that benefits a case, even when something is seemingly impossible.  The book will cover those difficult cases too.

Another thing…most analysts and investigators have not yet come across cryptocurrency in their investigations.  Consider that if you are not looking for it, you will not find it, and by not looking for it, this will be the biggest hole in your investigation.  Even if you find evidence of fraud/money laundering with cryptocurrency, you can easily miss important evidence that may not be found until later, if ever (such as this case).  Our current lack of competence in this area only makes it easier for criminals to succeed.  For the forensic analyst, you need to know not only the artifacts of cryptocurrency evidence, but also that what amounts to evidence (ie: what is evidence).  

If you don’t believe Bitcoin (as in all types of cryptocurrency, not just Bitcoin) isn’t going to be a major method of financial transactions and part of most every money laundering, fraud, and IP theft case, consider that it already is, you just don't know it yet.  The Bitcoin Forensics book will show the forensic artifacts along with the 'how money laundering works with cryptocurrency' in order to walk you through your first case and the next case and the next case and the...

As to cryptocurrency adoption in everyday life....it is already here.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/first-bitcoin-only-real-estate-transaction-completed-in-texas 

A suggestion: You may want to buy a little Bitcoin to start your foundation of what you will be coming across in your cases...

If you haven't got into cryptocurrency yet and want $10 of free Bitcoin, use this referral link to sign up for a Coinbase account: https://www.coinbase.com/join/57c8a8bcded4fa009924eae5 .