Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice. The agency has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes and works with law enforcement agencies around the world to investigate international criminal activity including cybercrime involving cryptocurrency.
History & Organization
The FBI was established in 1908 as an investigation service for the U.S. Department of Justice under President Theodore Roosevelt’s Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte. In 1935, it officially became a permanent part of DOJ and since then its mission expanded beyond investigating specific cases here in America to include investigating terrorism, espionage and other activities that threaten national security both at home and abroad; protecting civil rights; combating public corruption at all levels; organized crime; major thefts; financial frauds such as securities frauds related to cryptocurrencies ; drug trafficking ; child pornography/exploitation ; human trafficking among others .
Cryptocurrency Investigations
In 2020, Cryptocurrency investigations have become one important focus area for FBI due rising suspicion about use by criminals or terrorists organizations . The bureau’s Cyber Division established a team dedicated entirely to virtual currency-related threats called ‘Operation Disruptor’ which focuses on tracking down individuals who are using digital currencies like Bitcoin , Ethereum , Monero etc for illicit purposes like money laundering , ransomware attacks etc . It also investigates darknet market sites where illegal goods can be bought with cryptocurrencies . To carry out these operations successfully they need good understanding on how blockchain technology works so they employ highly skilled professionals from finance & IT industries apart from their existing agents who already possess knowledge on traditional financial systems & banking regulations .
