Cliff's Notes : Bitcoin transactions can be tracked to the buyer and seller.
Chief Fort had an additional message for criminals around the world. “You used to hide by laundering your money through shell companies around the country, but we traced you. You took your money offshore and hid around the world, but we found you. You went on the dark web thinking that your actions were anonymous, but they weren’t, and we again found you. You now deal in crypto-currency, again thinking this will make you anonymous, but our agents have once again proved that there is nowhere you can hide.” He added, “We will not stop in our pursuit.”
The complaint alleges that law enforcement was able to trace payments of bitcoin to the Darknet site by following the flow of funds on the blockchain. The virtual currency accounts identified in the complaint were allegedly used by 24 individuals in five countries to fund the website and promote the exploitation of children. An unsealed forfeiture complaint seeks to recover these funds as part of efforts to assist victims of the crime.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyph.../#4afd3dd21ed0
Thumbs up to the cops.
