Episode 36 of the Chainalysis Public Key podcast is here! We talk with two Chainalysis senior investigation specialists, Adam Hart and Julia Hardy, about the many scams plaguing Web3 and how collaboration may be the solution for crypto’s $10 billion problem.
You can listen or subscribe now on Spotify, Apple, or Audible. Keep reading for a full preview of episode 36.
Public Key Episode 36 preview: Solving Web3’s security problem
If you’re listening to this podcast, then you’ve probably already heard a lot about the Ronin Bridge hack, or the attack on the Wormhole Protocol, and probably the ransomware attack against Colonial Pipeline, but have you heard about the scam that hit tens of thousands MetaMask wallet users and resulted in the theft of over $200 million of funds?
On this podcast, Ian Andrews (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis) is joined by colleagues from the Chainalysis Investigations team, Adam Hart and Julia Hardy. This episode was recorded just after they returned from presenting their research at DevCon Bogota, the biggest gathering of Ethereum developers this year.
The discussion gets into the mechanics of one of the leading crypto scams, the investigative process, and the enthusiasm from the Ethereum community to help solve this problem.
Quote of the episode
“We’re all part of this community. We’re all trying to grow it. We’re trying to bring more users in. We’re trying to ultimately improve people’s lives, I think, through better access to the financial system. But if the outcome is you get scammed, you lose your NFTs, you lose your Ethereum, like that’s, that’s bad for all of us. It doesn’t matter whether you’re developing a protocol or working on the core Ethereum network. Like, nobody wants that to happen.” – Ian Andrews (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
Minute-by-minute episode breakdown
- (1:31) – Recap of Devcon Bogota 2022. Highlighting the Ethereum-focused blockchain developers and community
- (3:25) – Identifying consumer protection as the big “elephant in the room” for the Ethereum community
- (6:34) – Balancing the core blockchain ethos of decentralization with stopping bad actors and protecting consumers and institutions trying to operate in the space
- (9:50) – Analyzing the USDT Approval Mining Scam that was identified by MetaMask
- (14:05) – Identifying the cashout points used by the scam operators
- (17:55) – How the USDT approval mining scam has similar characteristics to the emerging Pig Butchering scam
- (21:25) – Collaboration of MetaMask and OpenSea to educate users on how to use a wallet and gain access to Web3
- (25:25) – Blockchain investigations tips for pursuing illicit activity on digital asset networks
Related resources
Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.
- Chainalysis Links 2023 Conference in NYC
- Public Key Podcast Ep. 19: Pig Butchering Crypto Scam: Crypto’s Emerging Human Trafficking And Romance Scam Industry
- Devcon Recording: The $10B Problem – web3 Security Against Coordinated Adversaries | Devcon
- FTX Investor Impact: Timeline of Realized Cryptocurrency Gains and Losses Shows FTX Hit Investor Wallets Less Than Previous Crises
- Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchains
- Chainalysis on YouTube
Speakers on today’s episode
- Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
- Adam Hart (Senior Training Specialist, Chainalysis)
- Julia Hardy (Senior Investigator, Chainalysis)
This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein.
Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material.
Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.
Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.