Chainalysis partners with South Korean police to strengthen crypto crime investigation capabilities.
Crypto News
Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korea's Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), aimed at building investigative capability within the country's law enforcement. Chainalysis confirmed the agreement on June 10. The MoU formalizes a collaboration that has been developing between the two organizations for several years.
The agreement will give the KNPA access to personalized training content developed by Chainalysis. That includes professional certification programs and practical training modules. The stated goal is to give Korean investigators global visibility into illicit fund flows across blockchain networks.
Building Institutional Capability Across All Threats
Chainalysis country director Ryan Kwon said the partnership is not built around a single threat actor or category. "While North Korean-driven attacks are understandably a national security focus, this partnership isn't designed around a single threat. It's fundamentally about building institutional capability," Kwon said. The agreement covers the full range of crypto-enabled crimes, from state-level attacks to scams targeting retail investors.
State-affiliated crypto activity has been one of the factors cited in building the case for the partnership. In April 2026, crypto theft linked to state-affiliated actors reached $578 million, largely from attacks targeting Kelp DAO and the Drift Protocol. Research from CrowdStrike found that state-affiliated hackers were responsible for $2 billion in crypto losses in 2025, a 51% increase from the prior year.
South Korea Steps Up Enforcement Infrastructure
Chainalysis has supported South Korean investigators on active cases in the past. In September 2025, police in Seoul dismantled an international hacking organization that had stolen approximately $30 million. That investigation began in South Korea and eventually led authorities to track the target to Thailand.
The MoU comes weeks after South Korean police launched a dedicated multi-agency unit to tackle crypto-based money laundering. That unit, called the Money Laundering Eradication Task Force, is led by the Economic Crime Investigation Division. It was established to coordinate enforcement across agencies on financial crimes involving virtual assets.
South Korea's national police has been dealing with crypto-enabled threats across multiple categories, from organized cybercrime to investor fraud. The KNPA's collaboration with Chainalysis is designed to give investigators the tools to trace illicit fund movements across borders. The training and certification programs are expected to be deployed as part of the agency's ongoing enforcement operations.
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