The United States Clearing and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has revealed the existence of a Cryptocurrency Intelligence Program (CIP) in the agency's 2022 budget proposal.

The proposal states that the CIP seeks to place unlicensed uppercase flows taking place across peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplaces, online forums, and darknet markets. The CIP was adult by Water ice's Bulk Cash Smuggling Center (BCSC).

"The BCSC has adult a Cryptocurrency Intelligence Program (CIP) which identifies unlicensed money services businesses in the grade of contained cryptocurrency brokers' use of peer-to-peer (P2P) sites, online forums and classified advertisements, and darknet markets (DNM) to appoint in unlicensed money services businesses (MSB) activity."

ICE targets coin laundering and opioid trafficking on the dark web

Ice states that "a big portion" unlicensed MSBs operating with cryptocurrency on darknet markets and P2P marketplaces are engaged in the laundering of narcotics proceeds.

The agency adds that it has increased its training and cyber analytics capabilities for "cyber investigations targeting darknet illicit marketplaces where fentanyl and chemical precursors are ofttimes sold."

Darknet markets have been a target of numerous ICE enforcement actions in recent years, with Water ice agents receiving "advanced darknet training" since at to the lowest degree September 2022.

ICE partnered with the U.Southward. Drug Enforcement Administration in mid-2017 to conduct a year-long nationwide investigation targeting darknet vendors, leading to over 35 arrests. ICE also executed a week-long internationally coordinated action during October 2022.

France and Austria collaborate on blockchain forensics

The revelation of Water ice's Cryptocurrency Investigations Program amid increasing efforts to crevice downwards on darknet action globally.

On Feb. 25, the authorities-owned Austrian Constitute of Applied science appear it had partnered with French blockchain security visitor NIGMA Conseil to collaborate on blockchain forensics.

The companies are working to provide blockchain forensics services to governments and businesses, including night web scraping and wallet clustering.