Speakers – Nidhi Rao, CPA, CFE, CFF, Managing Director with BDO USA LLP and Mansi Mehta, Director with BDO USA LLP
The year 2021 was marked by a phenomenal growth and tremendous interest in the crypto industry. The largest cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) eventually hit a new all-time high around $69,000. There were new crypto applications like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with sales of these digital assets setting new records at major auction houses. In addition, Bitcoin made strides towards mainstream acceptance with major websites like Expedia and Microsoft accepting the coin as a means of exchange. Crypto regulation was the talk of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), OFAC and regulators across the globe. We saw law enforcement agencies trace and track ransom crypto payments in order to recover funds.
With this uptick of activity, what’s ahead in 2022 for cryptocurrencies? As the popularity and focus on the crypto space will continue in 2022, financial crimes will also accelerate in direct proportion to the use of cryptocurrency. Crypto regulations and compliance programs are on the horizon and catching this new breed of crypto-criminals and stopping illicit fund transfers will be a key priority. This will lead to a deeper integration between the crypto and forensics world.