This course provides students with the fundamental knowledge and skills they need to investigate crimes involving virtual currency. Instructors explain foundational concepts like the characteristics of money, virtual currency, and cryptocurrency. Blockchain technology, proof of work, and proof of stake are covered and students learn how industry-leading cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin®, Ethereum®, and Monero) work and how they differ from each other. Finally, students learn investigative techniques for tracking and documenting transactions, and best practices for seizing and securing cryptocurrency. Hands-on exercises include: opening a bitcoin wallet, bitcoin transactions, investigating the blockchain, and identifying services using free/open source explorers.
Key concepts covered in this course include:
- Virtual currency basics
- Blockchain
- Cryptocurrencies in detail
- Investigative techniques
- Stablecoins
- Decentralized finance (DeFi)
- Non-fungible tokens (NFT)