As the use of virtual assets accelerates worldwide, so too does their appeal to criminal actors looking to move money faster, hide transactions more effectively and stay one step ahead of enforcement authorities.

And it’s natural that when people discuss crypto-related crime, the focus is often on governments, regulators, law enforcement agencies and the private sector – crypto exchanges, financial institutions and blockchain intelligence firms.

What about international organisations, non-profits, expert networks and professional associations – what role do they play behind the scenes? And how much impact can they really have when it comes to tackling illicit activity involving virtual assets?

These questions were at the centre of a webinar co-hosted by the Basel Institute on Governance and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The discussion brought together experts from the OSCE, the Basel Institute, the Financial Intelligence Unit of Moldova, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime.

Across the discussion, speakers kept circling around the same point: the crypto-crime field does not need more vague talk about cooperation or more one-off awareness workshops. It needs practical, sustained and operational forms of support that help investigators, prosecutors and financial intelligence units respond to increasingly sophisticated criminal activity.

Beyond awareness raising

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the gap between recognising the problem and building the capability to address it.

Speakers noted that crypto-related crime evolves faster than most institutions can adapt. Bots on the Telegram messaging app are now providing money-laundering-as-a-service, as one speaker noted by way of example. Criminal actors – and bots – exploit regulatory gaps, fragmented information-sharing systems and uneven levels of expertise across jurisdictions.

At the same time, many authorities are still in the early stages of developing operational capacity.

This is where international organisations and networks can play an important role. Not simply by producing guidance documents or organising workshops and conferences – which are necessary but not sufficient – but by helping countries build practical and lasting capabilities.

The OSCE shared examples from its regional project on mitigating the money laundering risks of virtual assets, which supports participating states across Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, Central Asia and Mongolia.

One example was Moldova’s sectoral national risk assessment on virtual assets. Beyond identifying vulnerabilities, the process helped prompt institutional action and legislative development.

The OSCE also pointed to measurable operational outcomes linked to its capacity-building support. Institutions supported through the programme, for example, traced more than USD 100 million in illicit crypto assets in 2025 alone.

Why PowerPoint presentations are not enough

Several speakers emphasised that complex investigations involving virtual assets and asset recovery require highly specialised expertise that cannot be built through isolated workshops.

Investigators need opportunities to apply knowledge in real cases. Financial intelligence units need ongoing mentoring and technical support. Prosecutors need to understand not only the technology itself but also how to present complex digital evidence in court.

The Basel Institute highlighted the importance of long-term engagement with practitioners. The approach of its International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) includes combining case-centered training with hands-on mentoring, operational support on live cases and efforts to foster collaboration between different government agencies and with the private sector.

Together with highly effective train-the-trainer programmes, the focus is on helping agencies develop capabilities that can evolve alongside changing technologies and criminal methods, rather than delivering isolated workshops.

Networks that make cooperation operational

The webinar also challenged the tendency to talk about “international cooperation” in abstract terms. In practice, it’s difficult to develop trusting relationships between individuals and institutions operating in very different legal and cultural contexts, especially where there are language barriers.

In this environment, organisations such as the OSCE, Basel Institute, UNODC and the Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime can act as connectors between sectors, jurisdictions and professional communities. They can:

• help investigators and practitioners exchange expertise and emerging typologies;
• create trusted channels for faster information sharing;
• connect authorities facing similar challenges across jurisdictions;
• support the development of common standards and approaches; and
• bridge gaps between public authorities, financial institutions and technical experts

One example is the Global Coalition’s proposal to develop a framework for sharing illict crypto wallet attribution data between public authorities – a major need, especially for jurisdictions without the resources to purchase multiple blockchain intelligence tools.

Research and analysis as a basis for action

Another important thread running through the webinar was the role of research and evidence-based analysis.

As technologies and criminal typologies evolve rapidly, policymakers and practitioners need reliable analysis rather than hype or speculation. Speakers discussed how international organisations support countries by analysing emerging threats, identifying trends and helping governments design informed legal and operational responses.

Speakers highlighted several concrete projects, such as UNODC research into scam compounds and cyber-enabled fraud in Southeast Asia and into the links between cybercrime and corruption, and the Global Coalition’s research on links between gaming and crypto-related financial crime.

A rapidly evolving challenge

The webinar closed with a discussion on what aspects of collaboration participants would most like to strengthen in the virtual assets space.

While perspectives differed, there was broad agreement that current models of cooperation and capacity building are still not moving fast enough to match the pace of technological change and criminal innovation.

It’s been said many times, but it warrants saying again: As virtual assets continue to evolve at breakneck speed, so too must the international response.

The discussion demonstrated that international organisations, non-profits and professional networks can have significant impact – particularly when they focus less on rhetoric and more on operational support, sustained partnerships and measurable outcomes.

Speakers

With thanks to our moderator, Vera Strobachova-Budway, Head of the Economic Governance Unit, OSCE, and to our excellent speakers:

• Erlin Agich, Associate Anti-Corruption Officer, OSCE
• Valentin Draganel, Deputy Head, Financial Intelligence Unit Moldova
• Alexandru Donciu, Specialist, Financial Investigations – Virtual Assets, Basel Institute on Governance
• Fabrizio Fioroni, AML/CFT Advisor, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• Michal Gromek, Chair, Digital Assets Task Force, Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime

Learn more

• View the recordings: browse the full playlist or go straight to individual interventions: Vera Strobachova-Budway, Erlin Agich, Valentin Draganel, Alexandru Donciu, Fabrizio Fioroni and Michal Gromek, plus the final lightning round.
• Sign up to the second joint Basel Institute-OSCE webinar on the role of investigative journalists in tackling crime linked to virtual assets, on 2 June 2026.
• Read the OSCE’s Decoding Crypto Crime – A Guide for Law Enforcement in multiple languages.
• Learn more about the OSCE Virtual Assets project.
• Learn about the Global Coalition’s Digital Asset Task Force and how you can get involved.

The Basel Institute’s training opportunities are now open to individuals – learn more about short online courses on crypto and blockchain compliance and financial investigations and asset recovery; plus postgraduate courses on anti-corruption and asset recovery.