VANCOUVER, BC — BIG Blockchain Intelligence Group Inc. (“BIG” or “the Company”) (CSE: BIGG)(WKN: A2JSKG)(OTC: BBKCF), a leading developer of Blockchain technology search, risk-scoring and data analytics solutions, is pleased to announce the official launch of its Forensic Services Division. This division fills a significant gap in the efforts of law enforcement and the finance sector to investigate, track, and monitor illicit activity involving cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, by bringing BIG’s team of investigative experts into action. Certain investigations require in-depth expertise and experience, which the Forensic Services Division provides, either in conjunction with or supplemental to BIG’s user-friendly search, risk-scoring and data analytics tools: BitRank Verified™ and QLUE™.
The Forensic Services Division is headed by BIG’s Director of Forensics and Investigations, Robert Whitaker, a former Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Supervisory Special Agent with over 23 years of experience in law enforcement, including serving as a Municipal Police Officer in El Paso, Texas for 8 years, and being assigned to Homeland Security Investigations Headquarters Illicit Finance and Proceeds of Crime Unit (IFPCU) and its Illicit Digital Economy Program (IDEP). The IDEP is responsible for overseeing cryptocurrency investigations undertaken by HSI — providing training, equipment, analytical support and investigative methodologies used in the unique skills needed by HSI special agents engaged in investigations involving cryptocurrencies.
Mr. Whitaker commented, “I’m very honoured to be heading up BIG’s Forensic Services Division and to have a real opportunity to shape how the cryptocurrency market emerges. It’s still not entirely clear to what degree Bitcoin is being used for illicit activities such as money laundering or terrorist financing, which is understandable since Bitcoin is designed to have a high degree of anonymity compared to traditional currencies. But, as our team has explained before, Bitcoin is only pseudo-anonymous, meaning it can be tracked. So, in the same way that crime scene investigators use UV light as a tool that reveals evidence that was previously hidden, our Forensic Services Division uses our in-house tool, QLUE™, to investigate and uncover what is really going on behind cryptocurrency transactions.”
BIG developed its proprietary flagship product, QLUE™ (Qualitative Law Enforcement Unified Edge), as the solution to the problem of bringing security, confidence and transparency to the world of cryptocurrency transactions. QLUE™ provides the ability to trace, track and monitor digital currency transactions, enabling law enforcement and financial institutions to level the playing field and catch the people that make up the quickly adapting criminal element hoping to use cryptocurrencies to hide illegal activities.
Mr. Whitaker and the Forensic Services Division use QLUE™ to investigate several categories of criminal activity presently associated with cryptocurrency use, including:
- terrorist financing
- human trafficking
- drug trafficking
- weapons trafficking
- child pornography
- orruption and bribery
- money laundering
The Forensic Services Division creates a “paper trail” or cyber trail by gathering evidence, tracking the movement of funds, engaging in transaction risk assessment, and ultimately connecting criminals with their crimes. Mr. Whitaker’s knowledge and expertise in cryptocurrency and cyber/financial investigative fields is of tremendous significance in guiding this process, as are the relationships he has cultivated within U.S. government agencies and around the world during his time in law enforcement.
The Forensic Services Division dovetails with BIG’s strategy for bringing security, confidence and transparency to the cryptocurrency market, which involves: (1) working with law enforcement and the financial sector to fully expose the scope of the global Bitcoin laundering problem, and (2) providing a suite of proprietary tools and services needed to reduce the risk of illicit activities while also finding and rooting out the people and criminal activities behind the problem.
On behalf of the Board,
Lance Morginn
Chief Executive Officer
About BIG Blockchain Intelligence Group Inc.
BIG Blockchain Intelligence Group Inc. (BIG) brings security and accountability to the new era of cryptocurrency. BIG has developed from the ground up a Blockchain-agnostic search and analytics engine, QLUE™, enabling RegTech, Law Enforcement and Government Agencies to visually trace, track and monitor cryptocurrency transactions at a forensic level. Our commercial product, BitRank Verified™, offers a “risk score” for Bitcoin wallets, enabling RegTech, banks, ATMs, exchanges and retailers to meet traditional regulatory/compliance requirements.
About BitRank Verified™
BIG developed BitRank Verified™ to be the industry gold standard in ranking and verifying cryptocurrency transactions. BitRank VerifiedT™ offers the financial world a simplified front-end results page, enabling consumer-facing bank tellers, exchanges, eCommerce sites and retailers to know whether a proposed transaction is safe to accept, questionable, or should be denied. BitRank Verified™ and its API are custom tailored to provide the RegTech sector with a reliable tool for meeting their regulatory requirements while mitigating exposure to risk of money laundering or other criminal activities.
About QLUE™
QLUE™ (Qualitative Law Enforcement Unified Edge) enables Law Enforcement and RegTech investigators to literally “follow the virtual money”. QLUE™ incorporates advanced techniques and unique search algorithms to detect suspicious activity within bitcoin and cryptocurrency transactions, enabling investigators to quickly and visually trace, track and monitor transactions in their fight against terrorist financing, human trafficking, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, child pornography, corruption, bribery, money laundering, and other cyber crimes.