Cryptocurrency Panel Educates Whistleblower Lawyers on Digital Assets Fraud Enforcement
Associate Courtney Finerty-Stelzner serves as the Chair of The Anti-Fraud Coalition’s (“TAF”) Young Lawyers Division. In that role, Ms. Finerty-Stelzner organized and moderated a “Cryptocurrency 101” webinar panel for TAF members.
As Ms. Finerty-Stelzner noted in her introductory remarks, cryptocurrency has come onto the scene in recent years as an increasingly large market force and source of fraud: the value of all existing cryptocurrency is currently over one trillion dollars, and the Department of Justice recently reported that frauds involving cryptocurrency increased by 183% from 2021 to 2022. For individuals accustomed to working with traditional fiat money, however, cryptocurrency can seem like a difficult subject to understand. The panel sought to demystify cryptocurrency for listeners so that they could effectively pursue whistleblower cases involving cryptocurrency fraud.
The panel featured speakers Daren Firestone, Eric Hylton, and Sarah “Poppy” Alexander, who delved into what cryptocurrency is and how it works; cryptocurrency fraud schemes; and practice pointers for attorneys pursuing whistleblower cases involving cryptocurrency. The overarching message from the panel was that while cryptocurrency and fiat currency are distinct, the fraud schemes involving both are largely the same. Therefore, the same best practices that result in successful whistleblower cases apply to all fraud schemes, whether they involve fiat currency or cryptocurrency.
Learn more about Getnick Law’s whistleblower practice and financial fraud.