Crystal Intelligence

Crypto payment cards are scaling fast, but there’s a problem. 🟡 Nearly 70% of providers require little or no ID verification. 🟡 Over $1.18bn in flows traced. 🟡 $166m linked to high-risk activity. Once funds hit the card, they look like any normal payment. The origin disappears. That’s a serious compliance gap. Our new research breaks it down: https://lnkd.in/epmExkUu

We’re proud to partner with Lambda256 to strengthen digital asset compliance across Korea’s financial sector. Our partnership brings together FRAML and on-chain intelligence to support Korean financial institutions and VASPs with end-to-end compliance, all in one place.

Cash is flowing into crypto… but who’s really tracking it? Join our upcoming webinar: “Following the money: inside the investigations that exposed crypto's cash problem” We’re bringing together the journalists behind major global investigations into cash-to-crypto flows, including work from International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the Toronto Star. Speakers: Nick Smart (Crystal Intelligence) Spencer Woodman (ICIJ) Sheila Wang (Toronto Star) Emma McIntosh (Toronto Star) They’ll break down how they traced illicit flows, what they uncovered, and what it means for compliance teams today. Who should attend? AML & financial crime professionals, risk teams, regulators, investigators, journalists, and crypto firms. 📆 6 May | ⏰ 4PM UK time Register now: https://lnkd.in/eWeEt6Zb

Most CASPs don’t have a CARF problem, they have a data problem. Before you fix compliance, you need to know what you’re working with. In this clip, Emeka Mgbenu breaks down where to start: 👉 Audit your data 👉 Identify the gaps 👉 Use smart touchpoints (like document renewals) to fill them, without breaking the user experience Simple, but not easy. Read the full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/eT7GVP_G

$26B in stablecoins controlled by just 10 wallets. Six assets now have 89%+ of supply concentrated in a handful of holders. Meanwhile: ⬆️ Supply is growing. ⬇️ Usage is falling. Which means headline numbers aren’t telling the full story. Concentration changes everything, from liquidity risk to false signals of adoption. We break it down here: https://lnkd.in/eJGP8e8g

We talk a lot about stablecoin market caps. But who actually holds the supply? New analysis shows that for some major assets, a handful of wallets control the vast majority, creating risks that don’t show up in headline numbers. At the same time, supply is growing while activity slows. This week’s Chronicle looks at what’s really going on beneath the surface 👇

CARF & DAC8 are live, and they change everything. The same user data now powers: 🔹 tax reporting 🔹 compliance monitoring 🔹 financial crime investigations If your AML, KYC, and tax systems aren’t fully connected, you’re already behind. We break down what it means (and what to do next) 👇 https://lnkd.in/eT7GVP_G

We’re heading to The Assembly Hollywood… and hosting something special alongside it. Join us for Follow the Chain: Evening Cocktails by Crystal & Inca Digital 🍸 An invite-only evening of great conversations, waterfront views, and the people shaping the future of financial crime prevention. 📍 GG’s Waterfront 📅 April 20 ⏰ 7:00–10:30 PM Spots are limited. RSVP to secure your place. https://luma.com/lm0pi2ro

Dominic Schaffer is heading to The Assembly Hollywood 🇺🇸! From April 20–22, leaders in compliance and financial crime come together to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the industry today, from AI-driven threats to shifting regulations and global sanctions. This is a key event, and a great place for the conversations that are shaping what comes next. If you’re there, make sure to connect 🤝

Paris, you delivered! From packed sessions at Paris Blockchain Week 2026 to conversations that ran well beyond the agenda, this year was all about one thing: real momentum. Our team spent the week speaking with investigators, compliance leaders, regulators, and innovators all tackling the same challenge from different angles, how to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital asset landscape. To everyone we met, collaborated with, and shared a drink (or two) with, thank you. These are the moments that move the industry forward. Until next time, PBW 👋 Joe Y. Tayeb KHARROUBI