Blockchain analytics company Crystal Blockchain today invited universities around the world to use its compliance and investigations tool, Crystal Expert, in a move to support continued research and education in digital assets and their underlying blockchains.
By extending access to universities and inviting applications for a free license to use the platform, Crystal strives to build partnerships with universities to help enrich research projects with up-to-the minute blockchain intelligence and contribute to wider topics of blockchain and crypto currency research.
Used by financial institutions, virtual asset service providers and supervisory agencies around the world, Crystal Expert is an all-in-one blockchain analytics tool. It is used by compliance teams to monitor crypto transactions to meet global regulatory anti-money laundering requirements. It is also used by investigators to identify bad actors and trace the flow of illicit crypto transactions. Crystal Expert provides visualizations of crypto transactions and customer networks, up-to-the minute data and transaction monitoring for thousands of cryptocurrencies in real-time.
“At a time when digital assets and the Blockchain are entering the mainstream at pace, it’s imperative that universities have access to analytics tools to pioneer research studies and foster innovation,” said Crystal CEO Marina Khaustova. “We have been thrilled to facilitate and work with several universities to date who have used Crystal Expert and engaged with our team of experts to further their research programs and teach emerging concepts to the new generation of technologists and financiers.”
One such collaboration resulted in the publication of the research paper, A Tale of Two Markets: Investigating the Ransomware Payments Economy. In collaboration with Crystal, the authors tracked the destination of outgoing transactions to study the laundering strategies of ransomware groups as well as the time needed to wash out the money.
“With the help of Crystal Blockchain and its data, we were able to significantly enhance our study of the laundering strategies used by ransomware groups and the time needed to launder funds. This was a crucial piece of data that enabled us to demonstrate the severe threat that ransomware poses to our society in our paper A Tale of Two Markets: Investigating the Ransomware Payments,” said co-author K Oosthoek.
Earlier this year Crystal launched its own training program aimed at professionals who wish to hone their skill and knowledge relating to cryptocurrencies, in response to demand for high-quality training. Crystal’s courses are delivered by its in-house experts in blockchain regulation, investigation and intelligence, tailor-made for businesses adopting cryptocurrencies or exploring the sector. The training sessions are conducted online or in-person.
For more information about Crystal Expert and how to access a free license for higher education, visit their website.
About Crystal Blockchain
Crystal Blockchain Analytics provides an all-in-one blockchain analytics tool to customers in the digital asset industry, banking, law enforcement and regulatory sectors. We enable financial services and VASPs to meet global anti-money laundering requirements through crypto transaction monitoring and risk assessment. Customers in law enforcement and regulatory spheres leverage our technology and data to track the movement of thousands of cryptocurrencies in real-time to identify illicit flows. Our platform is available as a free demo, SaaS, and API.