We’re looking to hire a rockstar for a full-time role as a cryptocurrency investigator and testifying expert. This is a demanding and fulfilling role that touches an array of functional areas:

• Blockchain analysis: CipherBlade is most well known for blockchain analysis. We use tools from multiple providers and develop some of our own tools in-house.
• Case management: You will be expected to be responsible for all facts of case management for assigned cases. This includes communicating with the client, managing data (to include files relevant to reports), communicating with law enforcement, exchanges, and counsel, and maintaining meticulous records.
• Expert testimony: A core focus of CipherBlade is providing expert services to law firms. This role includes writing of expert reports, attending hearings, and other items associated with expert witness work. (Due to the pandemic, this rarely requires travel. However, do expect to travel once or twice per year for 2-4 days for planning purposes.)
• Inbound lead evaluation: CipherBlade has become known as “the 911 for cryptocurrency scam/hack victims.” We average between 75 and 100 inquiries per week over the past month. There is far more demand than supply and we’re highly selective of which cases we take. Being able to understand a situation at a glance and identify the next investigative steps is crucial.

Applicants must:

• Have an exceptional command of the English language. While native speakers are not required, command of the English language is critical for interfacing with the people we collaborate with in our investigations.
• Be able to articulate themselves extremely well, both verbally and in written reports. If you are not comfortable speaking in a public setting, or if you are skittish about disagreeing with someone, this is probably not the role for you.
• Have a fundamental understanding of basic money laundering terminology and concepts, such as layering, structuring, etc.
• Have strong fundamental knowledge of blockchain technology. Bottom line, if you’d flunk a course like Certified Bitcoin Professional, you’re not going to be a good fit here. We’re happy to train you on stuff most people would have no opportunity to get experience with (such as blockchain analysis), but if you don’t know what a UTXO is, this is not the role for you. (Sadly, because of the state of the blockchain industry, this needs to be said: “trader”, “investor,” and “evangelist” are not roles or relevant experience.)
• Be a responsible self-starter that can work with minimal supervision. Like many other blockchain companies, we did remote work before it was cool. Commutes are inefficient and our clients are all over the world. If you need to be in an office with a manager to perform work, this is not the role for you. You will be expected to manage your caseload. Candidates must have experience in triaging competing priorities.
• Be highly trainable. We probably don’t care about your college degree and don’t care about almost any certification -- no external training exists for our niche. If you’re hungry to learn, you’ll fit in well. The process of self-development does not end with your training: CipherBlade staff continually research and hone their skills.
• Be able to responsibly manage all requirements for assigned cases, and coordinate with the rest of the team for coverage gaps. CipherBlade regularly monitors addresses containing stolen cryptocurrency with real-time notifications. We do not expect, nor do we want, any of our staff to work excessively long days. There may be the once or twice a year circumstance where you need to get out of bed at an uncomfortable time due to transaction notifications that require timely action for exchange intercepts; while this is very rare due to our internationally dispersed team, people do go on vacations and take time off here (we’re very adamant about work-life balance) and we need to find candidates that we can trust should they say “I’ve got the watch.”
• Be generally tech-savvy. This should go without saying, considering what was mentioned about baseline Bitcoin knowledge, but it needs to be reiterated. If simple applications and tools such as Slack defeat you, this is not the role for you. (It’s 2022 and we’ve gone through a pandemic: having “experienced with Microsoft Office” was something that might’ve been impressive on a resume 20 years ago, and is now just expected.)
• Be able to “break it down Barney style”. Within the same hour, a CipherBlade employee might do something highly complex, such as perform advanced analysis on mixers, and then, for a different case, guide a client through how to export transactions from a cryptocurrency exchange account. We have had cases where courts and law enforcement had never even heard of Bitcoin -- you must be able to “explain like I’m five” basic concepts regarding cryptocurrencies.
• Have strong knowledge of personal-level cybersecurity, particularly for cryptocurrency exchange accounts and “gateway” accounts such as email accounts. Additionally, strong knowledge of cryptocurrency self-custody, and to combine the two, credential management, is a must. If you’re not familiar with 2FA, VoIPs, and baseline security measures, you’re not fit to hold cryptocurrency let alone be considered as an applicant with our firm. The vast majority of cryptocurrency hacks we’ve reviewed could have been easily prevented by just one of the numerous security measures described in the linked post.
• Want to make the world a better place. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have immense potential, yet the societal learning curve for transitioning from centralized protections to self-custody has and will continue to result in fraud. Opportunistic criminals will always exist, and CipherBlade was born to combat them. In addition to investigating cryptocurrency crooks, we try to spend some time educating the public via blog posts, participating in panels/events, and trying to excite people by empowering them: we love to show how preventable most cryptocurrency theft is and consistently state that we’ll know our industry has matured when more people contact us before the fact (for preventative security) rather than after (for investigations). We’re part of Crypto Defender’s Alliance, where we actively mitigate ongoing stolen asset movements with exchange partners, as well as the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiativewhere we provide blockchain analysis for human trafficking and child exploitation cases.
• Be willing to consent to a thorough background check. CipherBlade handles an array of cases, all of which include confidential information, and many of which include highly sensitive information.
• Have a good sense of humor. In CipherBlade, we work hard and play hard. You will get memed. You will meme others. If you can’t handle R-rated movies, this won’t be a good fit.
• Have exceptional integrity. We have a no tolerance policy on this. This zero tolerance stance also applies to any form of prejudice. We employ and work with people from all walks of life.

Extremely well qualified candidates might have some of the following:

• Chainalysis Reactor Certification: As Chainalysis Reactor is our primary investigative tool, being well-acquainted with Chainalysis Reactor puts you far ahead of other candidates. (Due to the fact that there are no other certifications that are strongly relevant to what we do, and that most CRC certificate holders are certified by their existing employers, this is not a must; this training will be compulsory and paid for candidates we select if they do not have it.)
• Experience testifying.
• Experience as a law enforcement professional.

Bonus points if…

• You are fluent in additional languages.
• You have experience in OSINT.
• You have experience in “traditional” digital forensics.
• You reside in the US, UK or Canada.
• You have (or at least had) a security clearance.
• You have prior experience in a relevant investigative role (retail theft is not relevant, but cybercrime investigation is).
• You have prior experience in a relevant compliance role (bank compliance is at best nominally beneficial, but if you’ve worked in a compliance role for a crypto exchange, that is something noteworthy to us).
• You have prior experience in the legal realm.
• You include a writing sample (such as a report or blog post) with your application. We don’t believe in ancient hiring practices, such as requiring cover letters (“because everyone else is”), but show us what you’ve got if you want to stand out from the crowd.
• You are a military veteran. While this, in and of itself, won’t get you hired (as there are hundreds of jobs one could do in the military, and most won’t be relevant in terms of hard-skills), it will make you stand out a bit more -- veterans need missions and we’ve got endless missions.

What’s in it for you?

• Generous compensation in fiat or crypto!
• Experience working in the only company providing this array of services. There is no certification nor training course that replicates what we train our new hires on or the experience our staff get in their first few assignments.
• The satisfaction of helping people obtain the outcomes they deserve through truth in blockchains. “People lie, blockchains don’t” will become your earned ethos.