The invitation-only symposium is capped at about 50 private-sector vendors and partners, with total attendance running into the hundreds, two of the people said. The program combines keynote speeches, panel discussions and fireside chats with networking opportunities. Companies also demonstrated their platforms in demo rooms.
Discussions covered the illicit use of virtual assets by cartels and in terrorist financing, cyber-enabled fraud, scams, child sexual abuse material, human trafficking and violent crime, including so-called wrench attacks. Attendees also examined emerging hacks, North Korean activity and ways for industry and law enforcement to share intelligence, according to a source familiar with the event.
Attendees range from senior FBI officials and frontline investigators to representatives of other U.S. agencies and overseas law enforcement partners.
“This is not a crypto event,” one of the attendees said. “It is a law enforcement event for law enforcement and the people they work with.”
The atmosphere at the Virtual Asset Technical Exchange differs markedly from industry conferences, with discussions centered on illicit finance, national security and investigations intended to produce arrests and asset seizures. Investigators discuss active threats, techniques for following funds and successful cases, the person added.
A little-publicized gathering
The government-funded symposium is now in its ninth year and has drawn several hundred attendees, two of the people said, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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