VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 21, 2017 – BIG Blockchain Intelligence Group Inc. (“BIG” or “the Company”) (CSE:BIGG) (WKN:A2JSKG) (OTC:BBKCF), a developer of Blockchain technology search and data analytics solutions, is pleased to announce the Company’s two-stage strategy for working with law enforcement, finance and eCommerce sectors to investigate, track, and monitor illicit activity involving Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Leading the charge on the strategy’s roll-out is Former Special Agent Robert Whitaker, BIG’s recently appointed Director of Forensics and Investigations.
Mr. Whitaker underscored the timeliness of the strategy announcement in light of the Reuters news article from December 14, 2017 regarding U.S. prosecutors charging a Long Island, New York woman with laundering over $85,000 in fraudulently obtained money through Bitcoin to help ISIS.
Mr. Whitaker commented, “We developed our flagship product, QLUE, to be the solution to this problem. QLUE’s tracking and tracing capabilities enable law enforcement and financial institutions to level the playing field and catch the people that make up this quickly adapting criminal element.”
BIG’s two-stage strategy involves (1) working with the law enforcement and financial sectors to fully expose the scope of the global Bitcoin laundering problem, and then (2) providing a suite of proprietary tools needed to reduce the risk of illicit activities while also finding and rooting out the people and criminal activities behind the problem.
Mr. Whitaker commented, “It wasn’t commonly known until now that Bitcoin was being used for terrorist financing, which is understandable since Bitcoin is designed to have a high degree of anonymity compared to traditional currencies. But what we at BIG have always explained is that Bitcoin is only pseudo-anonymous. So, in the same way that crime scene investigators use UV light to reveal evidence that was previously hidden, our first step is to work together with QLUE to clearly see what is really going on with this problem.”
As Bitcoin and other Blockchain cryptocurrencies continue to become more widely used and accepted, the opportunity for the criminal element to defraud unsuspecting investors and bypass law enforcement efforts continues to grow. Evidence of the need to address this problem is already common:
- According to Cointelegraph, a website dedicated to cryptocurrency information and news, losses connected to cryptocurrency crime so far in 2017 amount to approximately $225 million.
- Reuters reported on December 15, 2017 that European Union states and legislators agreed on stricter rules to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing on exchange platforms for Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies.
- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged a number of companies with defrauding investors through Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), an unregulated Blockchain workaround for raising money quickly and outside of standard channels.
Mr. Whitaker is currently using BIG’s proprietary software QLUETM (Qualitative Law Enforcement Unified Edge) to target several categories of criminal activity presently associated with Cryptocurrency use, including:
- Sale of illicit goods
- Financing criminal activities (including terrorism)
- Money laundering
- Ransomware
In turn, BIG and QLUETM are creating a “paper trail” or cyber-trail by gathering evidence, tracking movement of funds, engaging in transaction risk assessment, and ultimately connecting criminals with their crimes.
BIG Blockchain Intelligence Group Inc.
Lance Morginn
CEO / Director / Co-Founder
D: 1-778-819-8702
email: [email protected]
About BIG Blockchain Intelligence Group Inc.
BIG Blockchain Intelligence Group Inc. (“BIG”), has developed from the ground up a Blockchain agnostic search and analytics engine allowing RegTech, Law Enforcement & Government Agencies to trace, track and monitor cryptocurrency transactions at a forensic level. Our commercial product, BitRank Verified®, offers a “risk score” for bitcoin wallets allowing banks, exchanges and eCommerce sites to meet traditional regulatory/compliance requirements.
For more information and to register to BIG’s mailing list, please visit our website at www.blockchaingroup.io. Follow @blocksearch on Twitter. Or visit SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur. Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited to, the future business operations of BIG. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from BIG’s expectations include, consumer sentiment towards BIG’s products and Blockchain technology generally, technology failures, competition, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations.Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in the news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company does not undertake any obligations to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.
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