Spotlight - Blockchain Investigations
There from the outset. Here when it counts.
Since the beginning, FTI Technology’s Blockchain & Digital Assets practice has been instrumental in helping to shape digital assets investigations.
Our experts have been at the forefront of digital assets disputes, helping pioneering litigators establish legal precedents with an emerging technology and its complex concepts.
2019
First Digital Asset Investigation
5
Countries Testified
100+
Offered Evidence
Our Work
Case Study
FTX Bankruptcy and Technical Diligence
The bankruptcy of FTX (including FTX.com and FTX US), once the third-largest global crypto exchange, and Alameda, a crypto trading firm, brought unprecedented challenges to traditional bankruptcy and restructuring proceedings with the need for technical and operational understanding of digital assets. The FTX Unsecured Creditors Committee retained FTI Technology’s Blockchain & Digital Assets practice based on a deep understanding and world-class expertise in the digital assets ecosystem, combined with the award-winning traditional bankruptcy expertise from FTI Consulting’s Corporate Finance segment.
Case Study
A valuation dispute involving a fintech and blockchain organization centered around allegations that losses due to the defendants' wrongful conduct prevented the blockchain from reaching its full potential. FTI Technology’s Blockchain & Digital Assets experts were engaged to provide expert valuation services in support of validating claims and resolving the matter.
Case Study
In proceedings for a large cryptocurrency bankruptcy matter, notices and summons needed to be sent to certain cryptocurrency wallet addresses that had at some point held misappropriated digital assets that should have been part of the bankruptcy, but where the owners of those wallets could not be identified. In this ongoing matter, FTI Technology has helped the legal team develop an innovative tracing methodology and recovery framework to identify and verify unhosted wallets and support recovery efforts.
Our Experts
Steven S. McNew
Senior Managing Director, Global Leader of Blockchain and Digital Assets
Houston, TX, United States
Steven S. McNew is a leading expert in blockchain and cryptocurrency forensics and analytics, enterprise blockchain implementation and digital forensics. He has led numerous investigations into claims involving fraud or misuse of cryptocurrencies and stolen digital assets, and led asset tracing investigations into cases involving Ponzi schemes and RICO claims in class action lawsuits. He has led bankruptcy, M&A, and strategy assignments in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector. He has offered expert testimony more than 30 times in the U.S. and Australia, has authored numerous expert reports and has frequently published thought leadership in industry media.
Jeremy Sheridan
Managing Director
Washington, DC, United States
Jeremy A. Sheridan is an expert in digital currencies, financial crime investigations, blockchain and smart contracts. As an agent with the United States Secret Service, he conducted more than 60 federal and state financial and cybercrime investigations, resulting in 37 arrests and a 100% conviction rate. He has been a testifying expert in numerous global courts, precedent-setting cases and U.S. congressional hearings. This includes serving as an expert witness in a cryptocurrency valuation case in the Singapore International Commercial Court, reportedly the first-ever in the country related to cryptocurrency valuation, in which the judge’s opinion named Mr. Sheridan’s expert report directly for its impact on the case. Formerly, as Assistant Director at the Secret Service for the Office of Investigations, Jeremy established the agency’s first dedicated illicit finance and digital asset investigative team and directed the agency’s global investigative mission of 3,000 personnel and 162 offices. He supports all of FTI Technology’s cryptocurrency workstreams, with his focus on digital asset investigations, expert testimony for digital asset-based cases, and the development of investigative strategies to identify the flow of funds and assign attribution to end-user accounts.
Jason Trager
Senior Director
New York, NY, United States
Jason Trager is the former Chief of Cyber Crimes for the Queens County District Attorney’s Office in New York City, and co-founder of its cryptocurrency taskforce. He was also previously the Vice President of Financial Investigations at BNP Paribas. Jason is an experienced litigator and investigator with subject matter expertise in digital assets and cryptocurrency, including BSA/AML compliance. Jason brings more than 10 years of experience overseeing the investigation of illicit activities related to cryptocurrencies and digital assets including money laundering, ransomware, sanctions evasion, NFT theft and darknet trafficking. He has prepped and directed several expert witnesses concerning blockchain and digital asset tracing. He has also trained law enforcement officers, bank investigators and attorneys on how to investigate digital asset transactions for litigation and to ensure compliance with U.S. regulations.
Erik Min
Senior Director
San Francisco, CA, United States
Erik Min brings more than 18 years of advisory and litigation consulting experience assisting clients on an assortment of complex business disputes, investigations and expert consultations. A subject matter expert in cryptocurrency disputes, blockchain implementations and digital forensics, he also has extensive experience providing guidance to clients on e-discovery, cybersecurity and information governance.
Jimmy Johnson
Director
Denver, CO, United States
Jimmy Johnson is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in digital currencies, blockchain and cybersecurity, with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in these fields. As a former FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Senior Investigator with Coinbase, he has extensive experience leading complex financial crimes investigations spanning numerous domestic and international jurisdictions. His experience includes authoring federal affidavits and testimony in complex financial crimes investigations, as well as leading sophisticated cybercrime and darknet investigations with public and private sector partners. Jimmy supports FTI Technology clients by leading complex asset tracing investigations, authoring expert reports and leading blockchain-related pro bono efforts.
