The murder-for-hire case of Ron Ilg, seems like it was pulled directly from a Netflix documentary, but this is a real life case involving cryptocurrency and multiple FBI agents. Beth Bisbee (Director Product Strategy, Chainalysis Government Solutions) leads the discussion with the Supervisory Special Agent, Forensic Analyst and Special Agent that were tasked with this complex and riveting case.
This FBI-led investigation involving a murder-for-hire case facilitated via the dark web, featuring cryptocurrency payments, seed phrases on sticky pads, guns, cash and biometric safes.
The team details their journey, from the initial tip-off involving a custody dispute and an alleged plot to harm a spouse, to navigating the complexities of tracing cryptocurrency on the blockchain. The discussion zeros in on how the newly created Virtual Currency Response Team played a critical role in unraveling this case by leveraging blockchain analysis despite the perpetrator's attempts to obfuscate transactions using mixers. With cooperative efforts involving international exchanges and Bitcoin ATMS.
This gripping discussion highlights how the FBI team unraveled the complexities of the case using modern investigative techniques involving blockchain forensic analysis and traditional detective methods combined to thwart a potentially tragic crime.
Minute-by-minute episode breakdown
2 | FBI Agents Entrance To Crypto By Using It To Investigate Darknet Markets
5 | Exploring the Murder-For-Hire Case of Ron Ilg
8 | Introduction of the Virtual Currency Response (VCR) Team
12 | Major Breakthrough in Case When Reconstituting Crypto Wallets
17 | Connecting Intelligence From Exchanges and Bitcoin ATMs
22 | Main Accelerants in the Case That Drove Huge Results
25 | Finding the Seed Phrase Safe at Ron’s House Changed Dynamic of Case
29 | Challenges and Hurdles That Arose During the Investigation
33 | The FBI Leverages Previous Murder-For-Hire Case in Investigation
35 | Analyzing Ron Ilg’s Plea Deal and Sentencing
37 | The Biggest Takeaways for the FBI in this Crypto Investigation
Related resources
Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.
Website: Mission First: To protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the U.S.
Press Release: Former Spokane Neonatologist Pleads Guilty in Plot to Hire Multiple Hitmen to Kidnap His Estranged Wife and Assault a Former Colleague
Report Online Scams: Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime.
Blog: The 2025 Geography of Crypto Report (Download Now!)
Blog: DOJ Seizes $15 Billion in Bitcoin as U.S. and U.K. Target Massive Southeast Asian Crypto Scam Network
Blog: How Coinbase’s Proactive Fentanyl Investigation Sprint Disrupted Criminal Networks with Chainalysis Intelligence
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Speakers on today’s episode
Beth Bisbee (Director Product Strategy, Chainalysis Government Solutions)
Supervisory Special Agent (SSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI))
Special Agent (SA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI))
Forensic Analyst, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI))
This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein.
Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material.
Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.
Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.
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44:15
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44:15
Crypto and Crime: Inside the FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit
The FBI created the Virtual Assets Unit to spearhead the agency’s efforts alongside a network of distributed experts to combat the misuse of digital currencies in criminal activity.
In this episode, Gurvais Grigg (former Chief Technology Officer, Global Public Sector, Chainalysis) gained insights from Patrick Wyman (Unit Chief - Virtual Assets Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)) into the intricacies of the FBI's approach to managing and monitoring virtual assets.
Patrick Wyman shares insights from his extensive career focused on white-collar crimes and articulates the critical importance of fostering collaboration among personnel and divisions, highlighting the unit's journey from a segmented array of expertise to a cohesive force capable of tackling financial crimes across all investigative areas.
This episode dissects the FBI's innovative strategies to maintain efficiency and agility amidst the rapidly evolving virtual asset landscape, but also highlights the challenges the public sector has in staying ahead of the crypto criminals.
Minute-by-minute episode breakdown
2 | Patrick's Journey at the FBI and Leading the Virtual Assets Unit
5 | Exploring FBI's Approach to Virtual Assets and White Collar Crime
8 | FBI's Virtual Assets Unit Unifies Expertise Across Divisions
12 | Enhancing Crypto Literacy and Leadership Engagement in the FBI
15 | Emerging Threat Typologies in Crypto Crime
19 | Managing Expertise and Resources in a Dynamic Environment
24 | Seizing Crypto Assets to Disrupt International Criminal Activities
29 | Challenges and Future of Cryptocurrency in Law Enforcement
33 | Building Sustainable Programs Through Strategic Planning and Growth
Related resources
Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.
Website: Mission First: To protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the U.S.
Press Release: ABA Foundation and FBI Release New Infographic to Help Americans Spot and Avoid Deepfake Scams
Blog: How Chainalysis Helped the FBI Track Down and Freeze Millions in the Caesars Casino Ransomware Attack
Article: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225 Million in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering
Blog: The 2025 Geography of Crypto Report (Reserve Your Copy Now!)
Blog: DPRK IT Workers: Inside North Korea’s Crypto Laundering Network
Blog: Customer Spotlights: Hear from Zodia Custody, Grant Thornton and many more
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Speakers on today’s episode
Gurvais Grigg (former Chief Technology Officer, Global Public Sector, Chainalysis)
Patrick Wyman (Unit Chief - Virtual Assets Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI))
This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein.
Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material.
Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.
Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.
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42:06
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42:06
Inside the FBI: Crypto, Crime and National Security
With over a decade of experience, James Barnacle (Deputy Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)) joins Jonathan Levin (CEO & Co-founder, Chainalysis) for a deep dive into the nexus of cybercrime, cryptocurrency and the evolving challenges faced by law enforcement.
James shares insights into the history and progression of the FBI’s strategies in combating cryptocurrency-enabled crimes, shedding light on intricate cases involving ransomware, fraud, and terrorism financing.
This conversation goes in depth on the FBI’s approach to multi-agency cooperation, including the establishment of the Virtual Assets Unit and response teams across field offices and the importance of victim reporting when it comes to pig butchering and other crypto investment schemes.
This is an episode you won’t forget.
Minute-by-minute episode breakdown
2 | Background of James Barnacle
4 | Beginning of the FBI's Involvement with Cryptocurrency
7 | The Evolution of Cryptocurrency Use in Criminal Investigations
10 | Establishment of the Virtual Assets Unit in the FBI
14 | FBI’s Approach to Ransomware Investigations
20 | International Private Sector Collaboration and Strategy in Fraud Cases
25 | Addressing Elderly Fraud and Pig Butchering
31 | Impact of Sanctions on Fraud Prevention
37 | North Korea's Involvement in Cryptocurrency Theft
40 | Importance of AI and Machine Learning in Law Enforcement
48 | Encouragement for Public and Private Sector Cooperation
Related resources
Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.
Website: Mission First: To protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the U.S.
Press Release: Ransomware Administrator Charged with Cybercrimes for Deploying “Lockergoga,” “Nefilim,” and “Megacortex” Ransomware Strains Against Hundreds of Victims
Report: Operation Level Up: Notifying Victims of Crypto Investment Fraud
Blog: How Chainalysis Helped the FBI Track Down and Freeze Millions in the Caesars Casino Ransomware Attack
Blog: The 2025 Geography of Crypto Report (Reserve Your Copy Now!)
Blog: The Venus Protocol Incident: How Hexagate and a Community Stopped a Hack and Enabled a Swift Recovery
Blog: Seoul Police Crack International Hacking Ring with Chainalysis Solutions
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Speakers on today’s episode
Jonathan Levin (CEO & Co-founder, Chainalysis)
James Barnacle (Deputy Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI))
This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein.
Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material.
Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.
Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.
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52:38
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52:38
The Future of UK’s Cyber and Crypto Policing
The evolution of the cybercrime landscape in the UK has evolved rapidly and in this episode, Andrew Gould (Detective Chief Superintendent & Cybercrime Team Lead, National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC)) shares deep insights with Jim Lee (Global Head of Capacity Building, Chainalysis) on how the NPCC has built their capacity in handling crypto investigations.
Andrew explains how his cybercrime unit has orchestrated a collaborative national response towards cyber threats and ransomware attacks and the strategic approaches towards building and enhancing investigative capabilities.
He discloses how government funding and developing training programs were instrumental in empowering officers against cyber threats and establishing partnerships with the private sector, Chainalysis and international law enforcement has been a key to their success.
Minute-by-minute episode breakdown
2 | Early Days of UK Cybercrime and Bitcoin
5 | Role of the National Police Chiefs’ Council in the UK
8 | Building a National Capability in Cybercrime
12 | Combining Blockchain Data with Other Data Sets
15 | Partnerships with Private Sector and Future Vision of Law Enforcement Collaborations
18 | Challenges and Best Practices in Building Crypto Capacity In Law Enforcement
23 |Future of Crypto Investigations - Looking Toward 2030
25 | Seizing Crypto Criminal Proceeds to Finance Law Enforcement Capacity Building
Related resources
Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.
Website: NPCC: Bringing UK police leaders together to set direction in policing and drive progress for the public
Announcement: National Cybercrime Team Awarded Chainalysis Public-Private Partnership Award at Links 2025
Reports: NCCP POLICING VISION 2030 Report: Strategic Policing Partnership Board
Blog: Legislated Sanctions Evasion: How the Garantex Rebrand, Grinex, and the Ruble-Backed Token, A7A5 Have Shaped Russia’s Shadow Crypto Economy
Blog: The US and Canada Join Forces to Combat Scams, Seizing Millions in Crypto
Blog: Chainalysis Rapid is Here: AI-Powered Crypto Triage for Any Investigator
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Speakers on today’s episode
Jim Lee (Global Head of Capacity Building, Chainalysis)
Andrew Gould (Detective Chief Superintendent & Cybercrime Team Lead, National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC))
This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein.
Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material.
Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.
Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.
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30:11
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30:11
Digital Assets Transforming Finance in Singapore
Do you want to hear insights from one of the most innovative banks in Singapore? In this episode, Evy Theunis, the Head of Digital Assets, Institutional Banking Group at DBS Bank explains to Chengyi Ong (Head of Policy (APAC), Chainalysis) about the thriving presence of digital asset firms running their businesses out of Singapore
Evy also shares how DBS bank has made groundbreaking strides in digital assets including many strategic initiatives such as launching their own digital asset exchange, while emphasizing the importance of regulatory frameworks and technological advancement as pivotal factors in DBS’s foray into digital assets.
Evy and Chengyi also marvel over the evolution and maturity of the digital assets sector and dissect DBS Bank’s top-down approach to crypto trading, digital payments and the tokenization of traditional financial markets.
Minute-by-minute episode breakdown
2 | Evy’s Journey to DBS and Digital Assets
5 | Challenges and Opportunities in Digital Assets for a Bank
9 | DBS's Focus on Digital Assets Strategy
11 | DBS's Innovation and Role in Digital Asset Financial Products
15 | Key Components for Future Financial Infrastructure
19 | Increase Demand for Digital Assets by High Net Worth Customers
22 | Singapore as a Hub for Crypto Businesses and Regional Expansion
24 | The Monetary Authority of Singapore and Their Digital Asset Impact
27 | DBS's Future in Digital Assets
Related resources
Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.
Website: DBS Treasures: Asia's Global Wealth Gateway
Article: DBS Treasures: Trade crypto seamlessly on digibank
Announcement: DBS Digital Exchange: Access fully integrated platform to tokenise, trade and custody of digital assets
Article: MAS Clarifies Regulatory Regime for Digital Token Service Providers
Blog: The President’s Working Group (PWG) Report on Digital Asset Markets Makes One Thing Clear: We Will Build The Future of Crypto Together
Blog: Chainalysis POV: What the GENIUS and CLARITY Act Bills Really Mean for Crypto Compliance
Blog: Following the Bitcoin Trail: The IntelBroker Takedown
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Speakers on today’s episode
Chengyi Ong (Head of Policy (APAC), Chainalysis)
Evy Theunis (Head of Digital Assets, Institutional Banking Group, DBS Bank)
This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein.
Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material.
Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.
Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.
Public Key is the cryptocurrency and compliance podcast, brought to you by Chainalysis.
Every week Chainalysis Chief Marketing Officer, Ian Andrews sits down with thought leaders in the space to discuss
▪Emerging risks and opportunities in blockchain technology
▪How policymakers around the world are approaching crypto regulations
▪Data-driven insights into the latest trends in crypto economics and crime.
▪Breaking news in the crypto market
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To learn more about criminal activity in crypto including scams, money laundering, ransomware and more, download the 2023 Crypto Crime Report: https://go.chainalysis.com/2023-crypto-crime-report.html
To Keep Up With Ian Andrews, follow him on:
▪Twitter: https://twitter.com/IanAndrewsDC
▪LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianhandrews
⚠Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material.
Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.
Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.