Government officials from Moldova receive basic training on crypto asset investigations

Twenty-five government officials deepened their knowledge of crypto-asset investigations during a three-day training held in Chisinau, Moldova, from 30 September to 2 October. Organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), the event gathered experts from the Border Police, the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency, the National Anti-Corruption Center, the National Integrity Authority, and the Office for Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering of Moldova to introduce essential concepts of blockchain technology alongside practical tools and strategies for investigating criminal activities involving crypto-assets.

The training session covered key topics such as the basics of blockchain technology, the taxonomy of crypto-assets, and the specific methods used for investigating blockchain transactions. Participants learned how to use both commercial and publicly available blockchain analytics tools to follow the flow of crypto-assets, tracing potentially illicit activity. The sessions also included interactive tracing exercises with Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), which allowed attendees to practice identifying transaction patterns and suspicious activities on the blockchain in real time.

The training session sis part of the OSCE's broader efforts to support participating States in mitigating the risks associated with virtual assets, particularly regarding money laundering and other financial crimes. Practical exercises and real-world case studies were a major focus of the event, providing participants with the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, thereby improving their proficiency in tracing and analyzing complex blockchain transactions.

"The OSCE is fully committed to supporting Moldova and other participating States in building resilient defences against the criminal use of virtual assets. This training course is just one link in the chain of efforts aimed at preparing Moldovan officials to address the evolving challenges of blockchain-based financial crimes,” said Kurban Babayev, Economic Adviser at OCEEA.

The training course was organized within the framework of the extra-budgetary project “Innovative Policy Solutions to Mitigate Money-Laundering Risks of Virtual Assets”, implemented by OCEEA. The project is financially supported by Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.