Step-by-step tracing a computer heist with blockchain forensics demands a disciplined workflow that preserves volatile evidence, follows the money across chains, and stands up in court. This guide gives incident responders and crypto investigators a repeatable process, from the first mempool snapshot to expert declarations.

The approach blends on-chain analytics, entity clustering, and coordinated outreach to exchanges and law enforcement. Each step is scoped to reduce false positives while accelerating asset recovery efforts.

This workflow compresses complex forensic tasks into clear actions you can execute under time pressure.

• Preserve: Capture mempool, node logs, and chain state immediately.
• Identify: Pinpoint seed transactions from victim assets.
• Map: Build an entity graph and tag services.
• Detect: Surface peel chains, mixers, chain-hops, and privacy coins.
• Coordinate: Issue rapid exchange alerts and notify authorities.
• Quantify: Calculate loss using time-weighted pricing.
• Report: Deliver findings with attribution confidence and exhibits.

Capture the volatile surface first: export mempool contents, full node logs, and the current chain height with hashes. Hash all artifacts and establish chain of custody with timestamps and signer identity.

Document software versions, RPC endpoints, and clock sync (NTP). Follow incident handling guidance from NIST SP 800-61 to keep records admissible.

Confirm control of victim addresses and enumerate all affected assets and chains. Use first-seen mempool timestamps and node logs to find the initial outflows and any change outputs.

Correlate on-chain activity with endpoint telemetry and wallet metadata. Tag known wallet fingerprints (derivation paths, fee patterns) to avoid misattributing change.

Cluster addresses using behavioral heuristics and service tags to form an entity graph. Enrich with open-source intelligence, public service labels, and prior casework.

Reference fundamentals of blockchain analysis and annotate edges with value, time, and fee rates. Maintain a data dictionary so labels and assumptions are transparent.

Look for peel chains (progressive small transfers), mixer ingress/egress, and bridging to other networks. Track chain-hopping via bridges, DEX swaps, and wrapped assets.

When mixers or privacy layers appear, document entry/exit timing and amounts. See background on mixing services to frame expected patterns and limitations.

Send freeze requests to exchanges and custodians with transaction hashes, addresses, amounts, and case IDs. Engage counsel early to manage cross-border requests and preservation orders.

Use a concise template and track SLAs. For reference materials, see our internal incident response playbook and exchange notice template for structure and fields.

Value losses with TWAP/VWAP to neutralize volatility and justify numbers in affidavits. Specify sources (exchange books, standardized indices) and the valuation time window.

Explain any slippage assumptions and liquidity constraints. For a primer on volume-weighted pricing, see Investopedia on VWAP.

Present a clear narrative: incident timeline, funds flow, entities involved, and attribution confidence with rationale. Include exhibits: transaction lists, graph snapshots, and chain-state proofs.

Append methodology, data sources, and validation steps. Strengthen evidentiary posture with a signed expert declaration and a chain-of-custody checklist.

• False positives: Overfitting heuristics without corroborating signals.
• Address reuse assumptions: Treating one address as one person or one service.
• Stale labels: Relying on outdated service tags or deprecated addresses.
• Missing change detection: Misclassifying change outputs as suspect flows.
• Cross-chain blind spots: Ignoring bridge liquidity and wrapped asset flows.

A disciplined, repeatable workflow transforms raw on-chain data into defensible findings. Preserve early, map entities carefully, detect obfuscation, coordinate fast, and report with transparency.

For specialized assistance, consider vetted experts such as Tyrone Brown or Tyrone Brown London. Their input can accelerate freezes and recoveries while reducing litigation risk.

• Which tools help? Combine full nodes, block explorers, graphing suites, and case management systems. Understand their heuristics and error bounds.
• Key data sources? Mempool archives, node logs, explorer APIs, OSINT, prior case labels, and exchange responses.
• Legal considerations? Preserve metadata, maintain chain of custody, and align with incident handling standards. Consult counsel on cross-jurisdictional requests.

For background reading, see Wikipedia: Blockchain analysis. Keep templates handy in your internal knowledge base for rapid deployment.