TRM Talks

In this episode Ari sits down with author and journalist Emily Parker. No topic is off limits as they discuss Bitcoin ETFs, global regulation, the use of the internet by pro-democracy movements, and Emily’s life and work in Asia. Ari and Emily dive into the most pressing issues impacting crypto today in a fun and engaging discussion. Today’s Guests Emily Parker, Journalist Host: Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy, TRM Labs

Ari sits down with threat intelligence expert Jessica Davis to discuss the emerging digital battlefield. From terrorist financiers to North Korean cybercriminals Jessica maps the threat landscape and provides a nuanced perspective on the use of cryptocurrencies. Today’s Guests Jessica Davis, Threat Intelligence Expert Host: Ari Rebord, Global Head of Policy, TRM Labs Resources Insight Threat Intelligence Newsletter

About the Episode In this breaking news episode of TRM Talks, Ari sits down with the US Treasury Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Cyber and Chief AI Officer Todd Conklin to discuss Treasury’s report on “Managing Artificial Intelligence Risk in the Financial Services Sector,” and the risks and opportunities that come from the use of AI and other emerging technologies. Today’s Guests Todd Conklin, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Cyber and Chief AI Officer, US Department of the Treasury Host: Ari Rebord, Global Head of Policy, TRM Labs Resources Managing Artificial Intelligence-Specific Cybersecurity Risks in the Financial Services Sector, US Department of the Treasury, March 2024 TRM Insights: US Treasury Issues Report on AI Cyber and Fraud Risks for Financial Institutions

In this episode, Ari sits down with Jarod Koopman, Executive Director of Cyber and Forensic Services for IRS - Criminal Investigation. They discuss IRS-CI’s unique role in crypto investigations, how this small law enforcement agency has seized $11 billion in cryptocurrencies, why Jarod is starting to see crypto in more cases, and what martial arts has to do with all of it. Today’s Guests Jarod Koopman, Executive Director of Cyber and Forensic Services for IRS - Criminal Investigation Host: Ari Rebord, Global Head of Policy, TRM Labs

This week, CFTC Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero joins Ari for a discussion of the Commissioner’s journey, the CFTC’s regulation of crypto and the CFTC Technology Advisory Committee’s recent report on DeFi. Today’s Guests Christy Goldsmith Romero, Commissioner, CFTC Host: Ari Rebord, Global Head of Policy, TRM Labs Resources CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee Releases Report On Opportunities and Risks In DeFi

Ari sits down with Circle’s Dante Disparte to discuss his journey from Libra to Circle, the power of digital assets for financial inclusion, and the future of stablecoin regulation. Today’s Guest Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Global Head of Policy, Circle Host: Ari Rebord, Global Head of Policy, TRM Labs Resources About Dante DisparteAbout CircleStablecoin Summer: How three months of policy and innovation could shape the future of the ecosystemState of the USDC Economy

Carole House, former US Treasury and White House National Security Council official, joins Ari to discuss the nexus between crypto and national security. Carole, the primary author of the White House Executive Order on Digital Assets and the recent CFTC report on DeFi, talks about these important reports, the process behind them, and how to mitigate North Korea, terrorist financing, ransomware and other national security challenges in the digital world. Today’s Guest Carole House, Former US Treasury and White House Cybersecurity Official Host: Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy, TRM Labs Resources CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee Releases Report On Opportunities and Risks In DeFiCFTC Technology Advisory CommitteeReport on Decentralized FinanceBiden’s Executive Order On Crypto Is Out — Read TRM’s Quick TakeNorth Korean Hackers Stole $600 Million in Crypto in 2023Global Crypto Policy Review & Outlook 2023/24TRM Illicit Ecosystem ReportAbout Carole HouseCoordinating the Federal Government's Approach to Crypto

Ari sits down with WIRED magazine’s Andy Greenberg and TRM’s Chris Janczewski, a former IRS-CI agent and the protagonist of Andy’s book Tracer’s in the Dark, to discuss how Chris and other investigators track and trace crypto to build investigations and hunt illicit actors on the blockchain. Today’s Guests Resources Tracers in the Dark: An Inside Look into Cracking Crypto's Biggest CasesNorth Korean Hackers Stole $600 Million in Crypto in 2023Hack Hauls Halve From 2022CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee Releases Report On Opportunities and Risks In DeFiInvestigating and Prosecuting a Crypto CaseCFTC Technology Advisory CommitteeReport on Decentralized FinanceAbout Chris JanczewskiAbout Andy GreenbergTracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency

In this episode, TRM's global policy team - Ari Redbord, Isabella Chase and Angela Ang - got together, in-person, to dissect the latest regulatory news of the quarter. The result was a 20-minute rapid fire, wide-ranging discussion of macro and micro digital assets policy across the globe. From the UK to the U.S., the EU to Australia and beyond, TRM's Policy Team discussed the U.S. Treasury's recent proposed rule on mixers, what may be coming for DeFi regulation, and took viewers on a journey around the world for the latest on crypto policy and regulatory developments.

In this episode TRM's Ari Redbord sat down with Santa Clara Prosecutor Erin West of REACT Task Force at ACAMS in Las Vegas. Erin, the conference's keynote speaker, discussed her journey and why she has a laser focus on rooting out "pig butchering." In pig butchering, also-known-as "romance scams," scammers encounter victims on dating sites, social media websites, or even random texts masquerading as a wrong number. Scammers initiate relationships with victims and slowly gain their trust, eventually introducing the idea of making a business investment using cryptocurrency. Victims are persuaded to invest money and once the money is sent to the fake investment app, the scammer vanishes with all the victim’s money. The term “pig butchering” comes from the idea of “fattening” up the victim as much as possible before stealing the money. These cases often involve victims who have lost their life savings, leaving the victims devastated and desperate for help. In this episode, Erin discusses the scourge of pig butchering and how she is leveraging blockchain intelligence to counter the threat including through the Tracer Fellowship program, a partnership with TRM Labs and her Crypto Coalition, through which TRM is offering a 12-month fellowship program which will award a select number of active law enforcement investigators free active to TRM's platform.

It has been a busy 2023 in Australia with policymakers consulting on crypto licensing, AML/CTF reform, and more. Australia is home to a growing crypto ecosystem - crypto-assets are the second most popular investment after shares. With that growth has come regulatory scrutiny focused on consumer protection, combatting financial crime and creating a modern, risk-based regime for crypto-assets. In this episode, TRM's Ari Redbord and Angela Ang are joined by Joni Pirovich at BADAS*L, Brad Brown at AUSTRAC, and Steve Vallas at Blockchain APAC to discuss crypto regulatory developments in Australia.

In this TRM Talks, Ari Redbord is joined by Jean Lee, writer, commentator and expert on North Korea. She is co-host of the Peabody-nominated Lazarus Heist podcast on the BBC World Service. Lee led the Associated Press news agency’s coverage of the Korean Peninsula as bureau chief from 2008 to 2013. In 2011, she became the first American reporter granted extensive access on the ground in North Korea, and in January 2012, she opened AP’s Pyongyang bureau. In this episode Lee discusses the historic meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jung Un, how North Korea has developed a cyber army, and the importance of understanding the history of the Korean Peninsula. Lee discusses North Korea's pivot to theft in the crypto ecosystem and how law enforcement and regulators are using authorities to mitigate the risk of North Korea cyber attacks. This is an in-depth and fast paced discussion into some of the most interesting and timely issues in the crypto space.

Despite the so-called "crypto winter," we have seen a flurry of institutional adoption. But, as the ecosystem grows so does the need to keep funds safe. In this TRM Talks Ari Redbord sits down with Fireblocks' Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer Jason Allegrante to discuss protecting the crypto ecosystem from hacks and other exploits, how Fireblocks works with Blockchain Intelligence like TRM Labs, and how policy makers can work with industry to craft sound regulatory frameworks.

The U.S. Justice Department set up the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) in 2021 amid growing concerns about the use of cryptocurrency for illicit finance including national security threats from North Korea, sanctions evasion, terrorists and weapons proliferators. In 2023, DOJ announced that the the NCET has been merged into the Department's computer crimes section. In this episode TRM's Ari Redbord sits down with the newly appointed NCET Acting Director Claudia Quiroz to discuss the move and the future of crypto-related investigations and prosecutions.

The European Banking Authority's Elisabeth Noble joins TRM's Isabella Chase and Ari Redbord for an in-depth discussion of what's next for MiCA. Elisabeth, a Senior Policy Expert at the EBA, leads the EBA’s work on crypto-assets and innovation facilitators and coordinates the European Forum for Innovation Facilitators. She is contributing to the development of the new EU Digital Finance Strategy and was a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Regulatory Obstacles to Financial Innovation. In other words, Elisabeth is exactly who you want to hear from when it comes to MiCA implementation!

In April, the U.S. Treasury Department issued its 42-page DeFi Risk Assessment laying out various money laundering risks for DeFi. The assessment, at the end, poses a series of discussion questions. On July 24 TRM Labs is joined by three of the foremost experts on DeFi and regulation to answer these questions. TRM's Ari Redbord is joined by Rebecca Rettig, Chief Policy Officer, Polygon Labs; Michael Mosier, Espresso Systems and former Acting Director of FinCEN; and, Jai Ramaswamy, Chief Legal Officer, A16Z, and former DOJ money laundering chief to discuss the questions posed in the DeFi Risk Assessment.

In this Flash TRM Talks, TRM's Ari Redbord sits down for a few minutes with the Chief of IRS-Criminal Investigations Jim Lee.

For this Flash TRM Talks, TRM's Ari Redbord sits down for a few minutes with former Treasury Official Eric Lorber of PWC and Isabella Edmonds of GeoComply to talk sanctions compliance ahead of a TRM Talks with OFAC's Dallas Woodrum.

For this Flash TRM Talks, TRM's Ari Redbord sits down for a few minutes with Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations Steve Francis.

In this Flash TRM Talks, TRM's Ari Redbord sits down for a few minutes with former U.S. Treasury Official and Founder of Capitol Peak Strategies Alex Zerden.