Chainalysis-led operation flags 7,700 accounts in child abuse probe

Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said a global operation it led identified more than 7,700 suspect accounts linked to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to a Tuesday press release shared with Cointelegraph, Operation Lighthouse investigated 29,120 crypto addresses and digital identifiers connected to over 100 CSAM platforms, forums and distribution networks across the surface and dark web.

The operation also generated 14,300 investigative leads across 11 crypto exchanges and payment services and flagged suspects across 125 countries. Among the suspects identified were 16 registered sex offenders.

Tom McLouth, senior intelligence analyst at Chainalysis, said the suspect pool also included military personnel, law enforcement officers, medical professionals and educators, including individuals with direct access to children.

“Behind every lead is a real child at risk,” he told Cointelegraph.

The multi-day sprint was hosted at the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance in New York after months of data enrichment. It brought together law enforcement agencies, private-sector partners and specialized nonprofits, including Europol, the UK National Crime Agency, Binance, Coinbase, Block and the Internet Watch Foundation.

Participants used onchain intelligence to develop leads for follow-on legal processes and case development. Chainalysis said the results were expected to lead to arrests, prosecutions and account-level disruption.

Crypto firms expand efforts against child exploitation 

Operation Lighthouse follows other efforts by crypto firms and child-protection organizations to expand intelligence sharing around crypto activity linked to exploitation. Europol said joint action was essential because perpetrators exploit financial services, payment systems and internet platforms. 

Binance, one of the exchanges participating in Lighthouse, announced a partnership with nonprofit Stop The Traffik in July. The exchange said the organization would provide intelligence, training and insights intended to improve its detection and investigation of crypto activity linked to human trafficking and child exploitation.

Related: Chainalysis, South Korean police link up to fight crypto crime

Blockchain tracing has previously contributed to enforcement actions in CSAM investigations. In 2019, the US Justice Department announced the takedown of Welcome to Video, described at the time as the largest darknet child sexual exploitation market by volume of content. 

Authorities traced Bitcoin payments to locate the website server in South Korea and identify its administrator. The investigation led to 337 users being arrested and charged, the rescue of at least 23 victims and the seizure of about eight terabytes of material. 

Chainalysis said its software was used to analyze the transactions and map the site’s users and contributors. 

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