With industry-wide crackdowns from the likes of the SEC and exacting regulatory demands coming into force in Europe, it’s never been more crucial to implement proper AML procedures.
The crypto industry has received bad press from various mainstream media sources citing how crypto can be used for all kinds of nefarious practices, money laundering in particular. Be that as it may, cryptocurrencies use blockchain technology, and therefore transactions are inherently transparent, and the trail of a suspected wrongdoer can usually be followed.
However, there are always ways and means that a bad actor, who wishes to circumvent anti-money laundering (AML) processes, can employ.
One key aspect of AML compliance is the implementation of transaction monitoring systems, such as Know Your Transaction (KYT). KYT involves real-time monitoring of individual transactions to identify suspicious activities, while the verification of addresses helps assess the legitimacy of wallet addresses involved in cryptocurrency transactions, mitigating risks associated with high-risk entities.
In a September 2022 article, the World Economic Forum (WEF) reported a 1,964% increase in cryptocurrencies that are laundered by way of decentralised finance (DeFi). This percentage was equivalent to around $900 million in laundered value.
To combat this type of activity, blockchain analytics tools and experts have made their niche in the market and are being used by companies in their struggle to become and remain compliant. Companies that provide this kind of service normally also offer the ability for a client to be able to fully investigate blockchain transactions as part of their AML responsibilities.
As the crypto sector seeks clarity in the regulatory environment in order to become a more accepted part of the financial system, complying with AML requirements will surely be a non-negotiable item on this path.
How Does Funds Tracing Work On The Blockchain?Blockchain analytics is a form of data science focused on the analysis, identification, and clustering of data on the blockchain, which is a digitally distributed public ledger. In other words, blockchain analytics is a method that companies use to investigate blockchain transactions and flag potentially fraudulent or illicit activities.
Blockchain analytics involves scraping data from crypto transactions, analysing wallets, and clustering wallets with similar typologies. Analytics providers can create a database and group wallets with similar typologies into clusters. This is an integral step when discovering both the source and destination of illicit funds. Law enforcement agencies and businesses utilise blockchain analytics to combat fraud, enhance compliance, and make informed decisions.
According to the US-based security website CSO Online a crucial part of the puzzle is identifying various addresses that might be linked to the same wallet, and then finding out who owns it.
“Knowing the exact entity behind a batch of addresses can be crucial, and blockchain intelligence companies have ways of finding that. They aggregate information from multiple sources, often using off-chain data to enrich their understanding of transactions. They look at dark web forums, social media posts, and court papers among others.”
How to Choose the Right Analytical and Business Protection Tools for Effective AMLWhen it comes to selecting analytical and business protection tools for effective anti-money laundering, 4 key parameters should guide your decision-making process.
Firstly, prioritize a comprehensive and extensive database. The effectiveness of your AML or analytical solution relies on accurate risk identification and detection of suspicious activities.
Secondly, accessibility is essential, ensuring that businesses of all sizes can easily integrate the solution. The onboarding process should be user-friendly and the pricing structure should be affordable. This allows businesses to leverage AML services without facing significant barriers or excessive costs.
Thirdly, consider blockchain support. Your chosen provider should be compatible with a wide range of blockchains, including popular ones, enabling comprehensive monitoring and analysis across multiple networks.
Lastly, visualisation and user-friendliness play a vital role in selecting an analytics tool. The system should provide clear and intuitive visualisations of checks and analysis results. This simplifies the interpretation of data and facilitates informed decision-making.
Considering these 4 parameters when choosing analytical and business protection tools for effective AML will help businesses combat money laundering and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
A comparison of the top 7 AML toolsFor crypto projects looking to become properly compliant as regards AML it behoves them to do their research into the leading proponents of blockchain investigation. To this end, the top 7 tools in this industry niche are compared below. Both compliance and analytics tools are considered.
Chainalysis (https://www.chainalysis.com)Probably the most prominent transaction monitoring and investigation tool out there is Chainalysis, used by government and private agencies to trace and understand blockchain activity.
Chainalysis uses its Reactor investigation software that seeks to connect the transactions with the entity behind them. In its transaction monitoring product called “KYT”, Chainalysis puts its identifications through a rigorous process and offers an API to access this data.
Accessibility for Different Businesses
Expensive and inaccessible for small companies. Chainalysis is known to be costly, making it unaffordable for small businesses to access their services. The entry barrier for smaller companies is high, limiting their ability to utilize Chainalysis effectively.
Database
Chainalysis boasts one of the most extensive and top-tier databases among all AML providers. Their database is known for its completeness, enabling thorough analysis and investigation of transactions.
Supported Blockchains
Wide range, including popular blockchains.
Chainalysis offers a broad set of cross-chain visibility, covering a diverse range of blockchains. They support and analyse some of the most popular and widely used blockchains, enhancing their ability to track transactions across different networks.
The possible drawback of the Chainalysis offering is the lack of cross-chain visibility and an inability to view all address connections in EVM-compatible networks.
Visualisation and User-Friendliness
When it comes to visualisation and user-friendliness, Chainalysis falls within the average range. While their tools and interfaces are functional, they do not offer the highest level of user-friendliness compared to some other AML providers in the market.
It's important to note that Chainalysis is primarily used for transactional AML/CFT checks (“KYT”) Chainalysis also offers address screening; however it only shows a direct* exposure (meaning that it analyzes only direct transactions of a wallet).
*KYT transaction monitoring shows both direct and indirect exposure, while address verification is only for direct exposure.
Advanced tracing techniques include automatic peel chain detection and cross-chain graphing, all of which provide a comprehensive solution for de-anonymising wallet addresses.
AMLBot (https://amlbot.com)AMLBot’s one-stop solution includes the screening of all a client’s incoming and outgoing transactions, plus wallets screening for AML compliance through integration of its API, with developers on hand to make sure the setup is seamless and conduct blockchain investigations in the case of discovered theft.
Add to this the easy signup and user-friendly interface, and you have an AML solution that is accessible for all businesses, including the medium and small enterprises.
Accessibility for Different Businesses
AMLBot offers accessibility to a wide range of businesses, including both B2B and B2C sectors. It provides an easy entry process and offers favourable conditions for businesses, making it accessible to all types of organisations.
Database
AMLBot boasts a broad database that integrates top databases from other AML providers, along with its own proprietary database. As a result, it has one of the most comprehensive and deep databases in the market, enabling thorough analysis and investigation.
Supported Blockchains
The company supports a wide range of popular blockchains and continuously adds new ones. This ensures that it stays up to date with emerging technologies and can effectively track transactions across various blockchain networks.
Visualisation and User-Friendliness
AMLBot prides itself on being highly user-friendly, providing clear and intuitive data visualisations. Users can easily interpret and analyse the data presented. Additionally, AMLBot has plans to release a new investigation visualisation tool, which will elevate its capabilities to the level of major companies in the industry.
Overall, AMLBot offers accessible entry for businesses, a deep and comprehensive database, support for popular blockchains, and user-friendly interfaces with clear data visualisations.
Crystal (https://crystalblockchain.com)Crystal offers simple but powerful visualisation tools and intuitive dashboards, helping a business to screen and monitor all transactions for AML compliance. Crystal also boasts that by using its services a crypto business can achieve compliance in only a matter of days.
Accessibility for Different Businesses
Not available for all types of businesses but more accessible than Chainalysis. Crystal offers limited accessibility when compared to some other AML providers.
Database
Crystal boasts a broad database that covers a wide range of information. Their database provides comprehensive data to support AML investigations and compliance efforts.
Supported Blockchains
Crystal supports the most popular blockchains in the industry. This enables users to track transactions and analyze data across multiple blockchain networks.
Visualisation and User-Friendliness
One of the best visualisations with average user-friendliness. Crystal stands out for its exceptional data visualisations, which are considered among the best in the industry. The platform provides visually appealing representations of data, aiding in the analysis and interpretation of information. However, in terms of user-friendliness, Crystal falls within the average range.
The Crystal platform does offer EVM compatibility across multiple networks, although cross-chain visibility is not provided. In addition, real risk scores aren’t always accurately reflected.
Overall, Crystal offers a wide-ranging database, supports popular blockchains, and provides exceptional data visualisations. While it may not be as accessible for all types of businesses as some other providers, it offers a valuable toolset for AML investigations and compliance efforts.
OKLink (https://www.oklink.com)OKLink says on its website that it is committed to making blockchain data accessible to everyone. It provides data analysis of the major blockchains and its OKLink KYA is a data-driven risk assessment tool that classifies address, and spot transaction risks.
Accessibility for Different Businesses
OKLink offers accessibility to businesses of all sizes. Whether it is a large corporation, a medium-sized company, or a small business, OKLink provides entry options for a wide range of organisations.
Database
The company has a relatively shallow database, which affects the accuracy of risk scores. Due to the limited depth of their database, the effectiveness of AML analysis and risk assessment may be compromised.
Supported Blockchains
OKLink supports a limited number of blockchains. While they may cover some popular blockchains, the range of supported networks is relatively small compared to other AML providers. This could potentially limit the coverage and effectiveness of their services.
Visualisation and User-Friendliness
OKLink stands out for its excellent data visualisations, which are considered among the best in the industry. Their platform offers visually appealing representations of data, enhancing the user experience and facilitating the interpretation of information. The user-friendliness of OKLink's interface is rated at a high level, making it easy for users to navigate and utilise their tools effectively.
In summary, OKLink provides accessibility to businesses of all sizes, but their database is shallow, which can impact the accuracy of risk scores. They support a limited number of blockchains, potentially limiting their coverage. However, OKLink excels in data visualisation, offering excellent visual representations, and maintains a high level of user-friendliness on their platform.
Metasleuth (https://metasleuth.io)The Metasleuth investigative tool is still in the Beta stage and accordingly it is free to the user. In fact it does appear to be a very user-driven tool given that user feedback and requests for added features are very much encouraged.
In addition Metasleuth allows analysis results to be shared with others for further analysis, thereby encouraging the creation of a collaborative community.
Accessibility for Different Businesses
Metasleuth provides accessibility to businesses of all sizes and types, particularly it is useful for individuals.
Supported Blockchains
Metasleuth supports 9 major blockchains, allowing users to track and analyse transactions across multiple networks.
The disadvantage of this tool is the impossibility to view all address connections in EVM-compatible networks.
Visualisation and User-Friendliness
Metasleuth excels in data visualisation, offering one of the best visual representations in the industry. The user-friendliness of Metasleuth's interface is rated at a high level.
In summary, Metasleuth is a great B2C investigation tool. While it supports 9 major blockchains with cross-chain analysis capabilities, it lacks cross-chain visibility and the ability to view all address connections in EVM-compatible networks. However, Metasleuth provides excellent data visualisations and a highly user-friendly platform.
Misttrack (https://misttrack.io)Misttrack is a tracking and compliance platform for all users. The SlowMist intelligence database is utilised for assigning AML risk scores to addresses based on their interactions on the blockchain. Address labels help a user distinguish between exchanges, crypto whales, MEV bots, and smart contracts.
Addresses are profiled so that a user can see the various entities they have interacted with, whether that be exchanges, mixers, DeFi, or NFT platforms, together with any malicious events associated with any of them.
Accessibility for Different Businesses
Available for all types of businesses.
Database
Misttrack has a relatively shallow database, which may limit the depth and coverage of their AML analysis.
Supported Blockchains
Misttrack supports only a small number of blockchains. While they may cover some popular blockchains, the range of supported networks is relatively small compared to other AML providers.
Visualisation and User-Friendliness
Misttrack's data visualisation capabilities are rated at an average level. The user-friendliness of Misttrack's platform is also considered average, providing a functional but potentially less intuitive interface for users.
In general, Misttrack offers accessibility to businesses of all types. However, their database is shallow, which may impact the depth of their analysis. They support a limited number of blockchains, limiting their coverage. The visualisation capabilities and user-friendliness of Misttrack's platform are rated at an average level.
Ciphertrace (https://ciphertrace.com/solutions)Among the Ciphertrace solutions is their Sentry anti-money laundering transaction monitor. This is generally an institutional service that can be integrated into existing compliance infrastructure via REST APIs that monitor transactions in real time.
Accessibility for Different Businesses
Available for all types of businesses.
Database
Ciphertrace maintains an average level of database depth. They boast an "immense data lake" that connects crypto addresses to real-world organisations. Their proprietary clustering and algorithms rapidly aggregate and correlate various indicators, adding millions of data points weekly.
Supported Blockchains
Ciphertrace supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and ERC-20 tokens. While they cover several major blockchains, their support may be considered average compared to other AML providers.
Visualisation and User-Friendliness
Ciphertrace offers an intuitive user interface and powerful graph explorer for visualising the flow of funds over time and through blockchain entities. Their tools provide fast and easy investigation of cryptocurrency transaction IDs and addresses. However, the level of visualisation and user-friendliness is rated at an average level compared to some other AML providers.
Ciphertrace Sentry profiles the risk of addresses based on their direct and indirect interactions with a wide variety of entities including exchanges, ATMs, mixers, and gambling services among others.
Real time intervention is utilised to prevent withdrawals to high risk or suspicious addresses, and deposits from hacks, scams and ransomware are frozen.
In summary, Ciphertrace offers an average level of accessibility for businesses, with a moderate depth of their database and support for multiple major blockchains. Their visualisation and user-friendliness are also rated at an average level.
ConclusionIndividuals and businesses are very much encouraged to explore and evaluate for themselves the diverse solutions offered by the top AML tools presented here in order to find the most suitable one for their particular crypto AML requirements. Of course, the list mentioned here is not an exhaustive compilation. There are numerous similar tools available in the market.
In today’s world of fast-moving and highly intelligent entities in the crypto sector, not all of which are following the regulatory rules, the businesses that desire to make sure that they are fully compliant are the ones that are far more likely to succeed.
It’s been a long time in coming, but comprehensive regulations are going to be widely enforced across most global jurisdictions. It is incumbent upon all crypto businesses to ensure that their particular AML solution is sufficiently robust for their needs, as penalties for transgressors are likely to be harsh.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
