The criminal landscape is evolving and nobody knows this better than the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) unit, who has been an international leader when it comes to combating crypto and cyber-related crimes. In this episode, we are lucky to have Jim Lee (Global Head of Capacity Building, Chainalysis ), who previously spent almost 30 years in IRS-CI sit down with Jarod Koopman , a leading figure in government law enforcement and the Executive Director of Cyber and Forensic Services a t IRS-CI Investigations . The duo discuss the evolving landscape of financial crimes and the crucial role of digital assets and cyber technology, while Jarod shares his extensive experience and how his career shifted towards cyber investigations as cryptocurrencies gained prominence. He explains how IRS-CI stays ahead of crime through an innovative approach to investigations and deep international partnerships and collaborations in law enforcement and highlights the need for authorities around the world to stay on top of emerging typologies and the use of cutting edge AI technology. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Jarod’s early days as a Federal agent working high stakes investigations 4 | The evolution of crime and cryptocurrency's impact on investigations 7 | Challenges in combating cybercrime and crypto-related offenses 11 | Global collaboration in combating crypto-related crimes 17 | International alignment in fighting tax crimes in crypto 22 | Unveiling the new IRS-CI's Advanced Collaboration and Data Center (“ACDC”) 28 | Understanding tax obligations for cryptocurrency gains in the US 32 | Government agencies face challenges amid budget cuts and hiring freezes 34 | Exploring AI and digital assets in financial fraud prevention 38 | Law enforcement's strategic approach to the Metaverse 40 | Emerging blockchain crimes and AI threats in Law Enforcement Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) serves the American public by investigating potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code and related financial crimes Report: IRS-CI 2024 Annual Report Article: Taxpayers need to report crypto, other digital asset transactions on their tax return Article: Former security engineer sentenced to three years in prison for hacking two decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges Blog: 2025 Crypto Crime Report Preview: $2.2 Billion Stolen from Crypto Platforms in 2024, but Hacked Volumes Stagnate Toward Year-End as DPRK Slows Activity Post-July Blog: Cryptocurrency in the War Zone: A Closer Look at Recent Events in Syria YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments. Speakers on today’s episode Jim (James) Lee * Host * (Global Head of Capacity Building, Chainalysis) Jarod Koopman (Executive Director, Cyber and Forensic Services, IRS - Criminal Investigation) 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.
