Épisodes

  • Ep 38: Inside the Additional Protocol to the Warsaw Convention

    Ep 38: Inside the Additional Protocol to the Warsaw Convention
    Sep 24 2026
    Jill Thomas speaks with Cornel Calinescu, chair of the Council of Europe committee that negotiated the new Additional Protocol to the Warsaw Convention. They discuss who writes asset recovery standards and what they mean for front-line practitioners.Cornel takes us inside the Strasbourg negotiations, where 41 jurisdictions turned a small protocol into more than 40 technical articles. He explains how an open treaty creates a common language: definitions for crypto assets and VASPs, broader confiscation types, standard forms for seizing orders, and post-conviction tracing. They also cover value as the measurement unit of asset recovery, interlocutory sales, and why statistics are still missing.Timestamps07:00 – Asset recovery over the last 20 years13:15 – the Warsaw Convention and the 1% problem19:30 – The Strasbourg negotiations 24:15 – An open treaty with a common language29:00 – Crypto, confiscation types and standard forms37:00 – Value as a measurement unit40:45 – Interlocutory sales and ANABI45:15 – Cornel's magic wand: changing the mindsetAbout Our GuestCornel Calinescu is an asset recovery consultant and chair of the Council of Europe committee on the Additional Protocol to the Warsaw Convention, elected by the 41 jurisdictions taking part. Over 26 years at Romania's Ministry of Justice, he established the country's first asset recovery office and led its consolidation into ANABI. He is a long-standing member of CARIN.Key TakeawaysAsset Recovery Needs One LanguageThe protocol defines crypto assets, VASPs and confiscation types so every party means the same thing.The Protocol Reaches Beyond EuropeAs an open treaty, jurisdictions outside the Council of Europe can use adopt instrument.Value Is the Measurement UnitOnly tracking value from crime to disposal shows whether a case met its target.Seize Assets, Not PaperValue-based orders must be backed by tracing, seizing and managing real assets.Speed Is Built Into the ProcessStandard forms replace translated, stamped files when crypto moves in a click.Resources MentionedCornel Calinescu on LinkedInCouncil of Europe Warsaw ConventionAdditional Protocol to the Warsaw Convention EU Directive on Asset Recovery and ConfiscationFATF Asset Recovery GuidanceStay ConnectedIf you found this episode useful, make sure you:Subscribe to Seize & Desist wherever you listenFollow Asset Reality on LinkedIn for updates, resources, and future episodesShare this episode with colleagues working in asset recovery, investigations, or financial crimeDisclaimerOur podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making any decisions on the topics being discussed. Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. 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 Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Asset Reality 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 Asset Reality.
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    52 min
  • Ep 37: From Wallet to Warrant: The Cases Rewriting Crypto Recovery

    Ep 37: From Wallet to Warrant: The Cases Rewriting Crypto Recovery
    Aug 25 2026

    Jason Sandoval speaks with Jonathan Benton, former Head of the UK's Int. Corruption Unit at the National Crime Agency and now CEO and Founder of Intelligent Sanctuary, about the gap between criminal efficiency and institutional deliberation, and what it takes to close it in digital asset recovery. They discuss how immutable on-chain markers are used to identify wallet holders and support compliance with FATF's recommendations, as well as the legal questions being tested in court cases like Tulip, D'Aloia and Jones.


    Seize & Desist speaks to practitioners across asset recovery, investigators, policymakers and people building tools in the field. No guest pays to appear, and nothing mentioned, including any tools or technology discussed, is endorsed or commercially connected to Asset Reality.


    ⏱️ Timestamps

    01:30 – Jonathan’s years in law enforcement

    14:45 – marking stolen crypto to identify wallet holders

    19:00 – on-chain movement vs wallet attribution

    28:45 – legal questions raised by Tulip, D'Aloia and Jones

    33:45 – on-chain marking and FATF compliance

    45:00 – building the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre


    👤 About Our Guest

    Jonathan Benton is CEO and Founder of Intelligent Sanctuary. He spent 30 years in UK law enforcement as a Detective Superintendent and the Head of the NCA's International Corruption Unit, leading some of Britain’s most complex corruption cases, including the Ibori case, the OPL 245 oil block scandal, and the case against the former Nigerian petroleum minister, as well as designing the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre.


    🔑 Key Takeaways

    Agility Is the Real Gap

    Criminals move faster than institutions because nobody makes them fill out a form first. Procurement and policy cycles lag years behind criminal adoption of new tools.

    On-Chain Visibility Isn't Attribution

    Standard blockchain analytics show what happened on-chain, not who controls the wallet behind it. Closing that gap is what makes recovery possible.

    Immutable Markers Turn Flags Into Evidence

    A wallet marked with a police reference number, visible on any blockchain explorer and removable only by investigators, gives exchanges something concrete to act on.

    Courts Are Setting the Rules Case by Case

    Tulip, D'Aloia and Jones are testing a different legal questions, from exchange liability to service by NFT, shaping how digital asset recovery works in practice.


    📚 Resources Mentioned
    • Jonathan Benton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbenton
    • Intelligent Sanctuary: https://isanctuary.io
    • Cambridge Int. Symposium on Economic Crime: https://www.crimesymposium.org

    📬 Stay Connected

    If you found this episode useful, make sure you:

    • Subscribe wherever you listen
    • Follow Asset Reality on LinkedIn for updates on future episodes
    • Share this episode with your colleagues working in asset recovery, investigations, or financial crime


    ⚠️ Disclaimer

    Our podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making any decisions on the topics being discussed. Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. 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 Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Asset Reality 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 Asset Reality.
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    51 min
  • Ep 36: Beyond the Figures: Measuring What Matters in Asset Recovery

    Ep 36: Beyond the Figures: Measuring What Matters in Asset Recovery
    Jul 31 2026

    What happens to a seized mafia asset after the headlines fade? Dr Amber Phillips, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at UWE Bristol, has spent her career chasing that answer, starting with fieldwork in Calabria alongside anti-mafia organisations working to strip the 'Ndrangheta of its assets and its grip on local communities.

    She joins Jason Sandoval to unpack her 'Beyond the Figures' research with financial investigators across England and Wales and the gap between headline recoveries and what practitioners count as success. Amber argues for a fifth 'D', Destination, alongside disruption, disentitlement and deterrence, and previews her new NCA/Home Office study, funded through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), on whether asset recovery genuinely deters crime.


    ⏱️ Timestamps

    02:00 – Amber's route into asset recovery via Calabria

    08:45 – how mafia power works and what asset recovery undermines

    14:00 – the GOEL social reuse model in Calabria

    17:50 – proposing a fifth D: destination as a measure of success

    21:00 – Beyond the Figures

    29:45 – how ARIS funding actually works


    👤 About Our Guest

    Dr Amber Phillips is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at UWE Bristol, specialising in organised and economic crime. Her career began in Calabria with anti-mafia organisations and she now leads a new NCA/Home Office study examining whether asset recovery genuinely deters crime.


    🔑 Key Takeaways

    Numbers Do Not Tell the Story

    Amber's research with financial investigators found headline figures often miss the disruption and investigative quality practitioners value most.


    Destination Deserves Its Own D

    Amber proposes adding Destination to the existing framework of disruption, disentitlement, deterrence and detection.


    Low Value Orders Can Outperform High Value Ones

    A small seizure from an early-stage offender can disrupt a criminal career as effectively as a six-figure one further down the line.


    ARIS Funding Shapes Investigator Behaviour

    How ARIS returns are split between confiscation and forfeiture orders can push investigators toward the more lucrative route, not the more powerful one.


    📚 Resources Mentioned
    • Dr Amber Phillips on LinkedIn
    • Bristol247 on the NCA/Home Office study
    • Seize & Desist E32 with Sal Melki, NCA
    • Seize & Desist E35 with Oliver Bullough


    📬 Stay Connected

    If you found this episode useful, make sure you:

    • Subscribe to Seize & Desist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen
    • Follow Asset Reality on LinkedIn and Twitter/X for updates, resources, and future episodes
    • Share this episode with colleagues working in asset recovery, investigations, or financial crime


    ⚠️ Disclaimer

    Our podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making any decisions on the topics being discussed. Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. 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 Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Asset Reality 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 Asset Reality.
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    45 min
  • Ep.35: Dirty Money Wins with Oliver Bullough and Jason Sandoval

    Ep.35: Dirty Money Wins with Oliver Bullough and Jason Sandoval
    Jun 30 2026
    Oliver Bullough has written three books on how dirty money moves around the world. His single biggest finding is so low-tech it almost sounds like a joke. Jason Sandoval, former DEA special agent and Asset Reality’s Head of European Operations, spent thirty years chasing the same problem. One investigated it, the other wrote about it. Together, they unpack why the global system for tackling money laundering is not working and what it would take to build something that does.⏱️ Timestamps02:30 – Money laundering as a meta-crime13:00 – Carousel fraud and what a mission-led response looks like24:00 – High-denomination banknotes and who is actually using them29:30 – Operation Destabilise and cash-for-crypto35:00 – Political will vs operational realities40:10 – Asset recovery as a fourteen-point swing42:20 – Oliver’s prescription👤 About Our GuestOliver Bullough is an award-winning journalist and author of Moneyland, Butler to the World, and Everybody Loves Our Dollars. He has spent his career mapping how dirty money moves globally, writing for The Guardian, The New York Times, GQ, and The Economist. This is his second appearance on Seize and Desist.🔑 Key TakeawaysCriminals Go Where Defences Are Weakest: As banks tightened controls, criminal wealth moved to crypto and trade finance, which remain vastly under-regulated.Carousel Fraud Shows What Works: The UK’s near-complete defeat of carousel fraud shows what happens when intelligence, law enforcement and legislation pull together with a shared mission.High-denomination Banknotes Undermine Everything: Fewer than 15% of US transactions are now done in cash, yet demand for $100 bills keeps rising. Central banks are printing them without asking where the demand is coming from.Asset Recovery Is a Fourteen-Point Swing: Taking assets from criminals degrades their capability and improves law enforcement’s at the same time.Political Will Is the Missing Variable: Every intervention Oliver identifies is achievable. The barrier is the political will to confront the interests of those with wealth to hide.📚 Resources MentionedEverybody Loves Our Dollars by Oliver Bullough: https://amzn.eu/d/06emtzVhButler to the World by Oliver Bullough: https://amzn.eu/d/gaqVRE9Moneyland by Oliver Bullough: https://amzn.eu/d/ezB43RvOliver Bullough on The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/oliverbulloughSeize & Desist Episode 19 with Oliver Bullough: https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/d9980f5e-8a52-48d5-a31b-0ecfe2a3cc89?d=eJs8ymAzD&v=8112📬 Stay ConnectedIf you found this episode useful, make sure you:Subscribe to Seize & Desist wherever you listenFollow Asset Reality on LinkedIn and X for updates, resources, and future episodesShare this episode with colleagues working in asset recovery, investigations, or financial crime⚠️ DisclaimerOur podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making any decisions on the topics being discussed. Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. 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 Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Asset Reality 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 Asset Reality.
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    47 min
  • Ep. 34: The Implementation Gap: What You Seize Is What You Get

    Ep. 34: The Implementation Gap: What You Seize Is What You Get
    Apr 29 2026
    Jill Thomas speaks with Tristram Hicks about why cash seizure is one of the most powerful tools available to law enforcement and what it takes to build asset recovery systems that deliver at scale. As one of the lead practitioners behind the UK's Proceeds of Crime Act and an international capacity building adviser, Tristram explains what turns legislation into results, why financial DNA changes how investigators approach every crime, and what FATF's new asset recovery guidance means for practitioners worldwide.⏱️ Timestamps00:05 – Introductions01:41 – POCA: from dozens of cases to 5000+ a year11:45 – The cash seizure spark that changed UK practice16:12 – Incentivisation and why recycling assets changes minds23:10– Financial DNA: every financial transaction leaves a trace27:30 – How things used to be vs what we should be working towards33:20 – The need for statistics in asset seizure37:30 – The importance of cross agency reporting systems 40:30 – Magic wand: bring cash seizure powers inland👤 About Our GuestTristram Hicks is the author of The War on Dirty Money and one of the most experienced asset recovery practitioners working internationally today. He spent ten years at the centre of the UK's Proceeds of Crime Act implementation, leading operational financial investigation teams at Scotland Yard while helping shape national policy. He has since worked across Europe, the Balkans, and beyond, advising governments on how to build asset recovery systems that deliver results in practice.🔑 Key TakeawaysCash Seizure Is the CatalystExtending powers from the border inland transformed UK practice. Most jurisdictions have the same dormant authority available today.Incentivisation Makes Legislation WorkThe UK's Proceeds of Crime Act succeeded because it built an implementation committee and recycled confiscated proceeds back to the agencies doing the work. Once the financial incentive was in place, national volumes grew 14-fold.Financial DNA Is EverywhereEvery financial transaction leaves a trace connecting people to people, places, and money.Embed Financial Investigators at the Front LineWorking alongside criminal investigators from the point of arrest is what converts law into seizures. Parallel structures are far more effective than isolated ones.📚 Resources MentionedThe War on Dirty Money by Tristram Hicks | AmazonTristram Hicks on SubstackTristram Hicks on LinkedInTristram’s Critique of the FATF GuidanceFATF Guidance on Asset RecoveryEU Asset Recovery Directive (2024)CARIN network📬 Stay ConnectedIf you found this episode useful:Subscribe to Seize & Desist wherever you listenFollow Asset Reality on LinkedIn for updates, resources, and future episodesShare this episode with those working in asset recovery, investigations or financial crime⚠️ DisclaimerOur podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making decisions on the topics discussed. Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. 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 Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Asset Reality 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 Asset Reality.
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    48 min
  • Ep. 33: Following the Mail: Postal Intelligence in the Age of Crypto Crime

    Ep. 33: Following the Mail: Postal Intelligence in the Age of Crypto Crime
    Apr 2 2026
    Aidan Larkin speaks with Tara Kavanaugh, a federal investigator with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and liaison to the FBI's dark‑web opioid task force. Tara draws on a career spanning HUMINT work in the Middle East, signals intelligence at the NSA and crypto‑enabled investigations at USPIS to explain how modern crime moves across the mail system, the dark web, and digital‑asset ecosystems. She outlines the realities of mail‑based fraud, fentanyl supply chains, dark‑web vendor activity, and the growing “scamdemic,” while highlighting how postal data and blockchain analytics help identify offenders. They also discuss inter‑agency collaboration, investigative tooling and why asset recovery remains central to disrupting harm.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Early Career & Intelligence Background04:40 – USPIS Crypto Investigations06:45 – FBI Liaison Role & Dark‑Web Opioid Task Force12:50 – Using Postal Intelligence to Strengthen Federal Cases15:30 – Blockchain Tracing Patterns, Playbooks & Criminal Methods21:45 – Agency Readiness, SOPs & Evolving Crypto Capabilities25:45 – Crypto ATMs, Victim Risks & the Growing “Scamdemic”32:40 - The Modern Investigator’s Toolkit & Global Collaboration👤 About Our GuestTara Kavanaugh is a federal investigator at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and liaison to the FBI’s Joint Dark‑Web and Opioid Task Force. Her career has spanned HUMINT operations in conflict zones, counterintelligence work at the NSA, dark‑web investigations targeting fentanyl vendors, and blockchain‑based tracing of narcotics proceeds and scam activity. Tara works across local, state, federal, and international partners like Europol to disrupt digital‑asset–enabled crime.🔑 Key TakeawaysAsset Recovery Is Not PeripheralFrom fentanyl vendors to terrorist financing, taking the money disrupts crime faster than arrests.Inter‑Agency Collaboration Works When Data FlowsUSPIS, FBI, Europol, and others share seized server data to proactively identify vendors and cases. USPIS postal metadata, label history, and mail‑stream analytics give investigators visibility that other agencies don’t have.Crypto ATMs Are a Major Scam VectorElderly victims are overwhelmingly targeted, and the machines provide deceptive legitimacy.Blockchain Tools Have Improved DramaticallyWhat once required hours of manual tracing now surfaces automatically across chains.📚 Resources Mentioned9CRC on YoutubeEuropol's Project A.S.S.E.TAlison Jimenez on Seize & DesistRich Lebel on Seize & DeistOperation ShamrockAsset Reality's FCA Approval📬 Stay Connected If you found this episode useful, make sure you:Subscribe to Seize & Desist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listenFollow Asset Reality on LinkedIn for updates, resources, and future episodesShare this episode with those working in asset recovery, investigations or financial crime⚠️ DisclaimerOur podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making decisions on the topics discussed. Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. 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 Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Asset Reality 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 Asset Reality.
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    46 min
  • Ep. 32: Illicit Finance, Asset Recovery & the Reality of Global Crime Networks

    Ep. 32: Illicit Finance, Asset Recovery & the Reality of Global Crime Networks
    Feb 4 2026
    Aidan Larkin sits down with Sal Melki, Deputy Director at the UK’s National Crime Agency and senior leader at the National Economic Crime Centre, to unpack how illicit finance really works today, from local cash couriers to global money laundering networks. Sal shares frontline insight on why money laundering is now easier than ever, how technology and crypto are reshaping criminal networks, and what actually works when disrupting and recovering criminal assets at scale. We also dive into Operation Destabilise, public-private data fusion, and why asset recovery has become one of law enforcement's most powerful tools against serious organised crime. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Introductions and Overview of the NCA and NECC 04:30 - Evolution of Organized Crime Networks 09:40 - AI, Synthetic Identities, and Emerging Threats 17:30 - Public-Private Partnerships & Data Fusion 28:40 - Crypto as an Asset Class 36:50 - Operation Destabilize 39:55 - Money Laundering as a Service 46:20 - Future Priorities 👤 About Our Guest Sal Melki is a Deputy Director at the UK National Crime Agency and a senior leader at the National Economic Crime Centre, where he leads the response to illicit finance, money laundering, and asset recovery. With a background in the Metropolitan Police and Counter Terrorism Policing, Sal works at the centre of the UK’s public‑private effort to disrupt serious organised crime.🔑 Key Takeaways Illicit Finance is the System Asset recovery is not a side quest. It is central to disrupting organised crime, from drugs and fraud to sanctions evasion. Money Laundering Has Scaled Professional laundering networks now operate like service providers, using cash, crypto, shell companies, and technology to move value globally. Technology Cuts Both Ways AI, crypto, and automation are making crime easier, but they are also powerful tools when law enforcement and the private sector work together. Data Fusion Beats Silos Proactive, shared intelligence across banks, crypto firms, and law enforcement delivers far more impact than reactive reporting alone. Disruption Matters You do not always need to arrest the kingpin. Taking money, increasing friction, and targeting facilitators change behaviour fast. 📚 Resources Mentioned National Crime Agency (NCA) National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) Operation Destabilise The Record | Inside Operation Destabilise INTERPOL Silver Notice Basel Institute on Governance | INTERPOL Silver Notice Explained 📬 Stay Connected If you found this episode useful, make sure you: Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen Follow Asset Reality on LinkedIn for updates, resources, and future episodes Share this episode with colleagues working in asset recovery, investigations, or financial crime ⚠️ Disclaimer Our podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making decisions on the topics discussed. Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. 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 Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Asset Reality 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 Asset Reality.
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    50 min
  • BONUS: Aidan Larkin on Times Radio: What happens after a £5.1bn crypto seizure?

    BONUS: Aidan Larkin on Times Radio: What happens after a £5.1bn crypto seizure?
    Dec 20 2025

    This episode was originally recorded for Times Radio on 13th November 2025.


    In this special bonus episode, Aidan Larkin joins Hugo Rifkind on Times Radio to discuss what happens after a major seizure and why the landmark £5.1bn crypto seizure could redefine how governments handle digital assets.


    In November 2025, a Chinese national dubbed the “Bit Queen” was sentenced to several years in prison for orchestrating a staggering £5.1 billion cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. The case made headlines worldwide, not just for its scale, but for the questions it raises about the future of asset recovery in a digital age.


    Aidan and Hugo explore:

    • What happens after billions in crypto are seized
    • How governments navigate cross-border asset recovery
    • The diplomatic and legal challenges of returning funds to victims
    • Why this case could set a global precedent for managing digital assets


    Resources

    Crypto Seizures: A Turning Point for Global Asset Recovery

    BBC News: Cryptoqueen who fled China for London mansion jailed over £5bn Bitcoin stash


    Stay Connected

    Subscribe to Seize & Desist for all the latest insights on asset recovery.


    Disclaimer

    Our podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making decisions on the topics discussed. Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. 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 Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Asset Reality 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 Asset Reality.

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    8 min