The 'treasure hunters' of the blockchain era.
With the increasing popularity of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, not only has it reshaped the landscape of financial transactions, but it has also opened up unprecedented career opportunities. The increasing complexity of cryptocurrency crimes has led to a sharp rise in demand for professionals proficient in 'coin flow tracking'.
According to a report by The Crypto Recruiters, as of 2025, job postings in Web3 are expected to increase by 45% compared to the same period last year, with the blockchain industry adding 100,000 new employees, totaling over 460,000.
The American job recruitment site ZipRecruiter also shows that the annual salary range for 'cryptocurrency investigators' in the United States is broad, averaging around $75,000 (approximately NT$2.43 million), with top earners exceeding $116,500 (approximately NT$3.78 million). The average salary for 'blockchain analysts' is also around $76,000 (approximately NT$2.46 million), with top earners exceeding $124,000 (approximately NT$4.02 million).
In the face of challenges such as fraud, money laundering, and hacking attacks, 'blockchain coin flow tracking' has emerged as a profession that analyzes transaction data on the blockchain to track the flow of funds, assisting law enforcement in combating crime and providing important tools for risk management to businesses.
Coin flow tracking is not only a key technology for maintaining the security of digital assets and combating financial crime, but it has also given rise to emerging professions such as blockchain analysts and anti-money laundering compliance officers, which play an indispensable role in ensuring the healthy operation of the blockchain ecosystem.
This emerging field is demonstrating enormous career development potential and may be an opportunity worth noting for fresh graduates entering the job market.
What jobs might use coin flow tracking?
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer / Financial Crime Prevention Officer:
As cryptocurrencies gradually integrate into the financial system, anti-money laundering compliance becomes crucial.
The main responsibility of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance officers is to prevent and detect the use of financial institutions by criminals for money laundering activities. They work within financial institutions (such as banks, securities companies, insurance companies, etc.) or relevant regulatory agencies, ensuring that the institution complies with anti-money laundering regulations and internal policies.
As cryptocurrencies and traditional finance gradually overlap in business, blockchain-related companies (such as exchanges and wallet service providers) also require AML specialists to assist in compliance with relevant laws and regulations and to establish effective anti-money laundering mechanisms.
They need to identify suspicious transactions, specifically including monitoring customer transaction behaviors, analyzing transaction monitoring cases, ensuring investigations are reasonable and accurate, and reporting to regulatory agencies.
According to job postings from Taiwanese exchanges on job platforms, to apply for the position of Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer, at least two years of experience in anti-money laundering in virtual asset service providers (VASP) or financial institutions is required. Additionally, having a background in law or business or holding similar anti-money laundering certificates will also be advantageous for this position.
The demand for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Financial Crime Prevention (FCP) specialists in Taiwan's job market is significant and widespread. Major job platforms such as 104 Job Bank, Yourator, and 1111 Job Bank feature a large number of related job vacancies. The names of these positions are diverse, including 'Anti-Money Laundering and Compliance Personnel', 'Compliance and Anti-Money Laundering Department - Compliance Personnel', '[Compliance General Office] Anti-Money Laundering Department Responsible Personnel', 'Risk Control/Compliance Specialist', 'Senior Compliance Manager', 'Compliance Department - Compliance Personnel', 'Financial Crime Prevention Officer (FCP)', as well as positions covering AML/compliance in 'Internal Audit Supervisor/Specialist'.
Blockchain security personnel:
Blockchain security researchers are dedicated to protecting the security of blockchain networks and applications. They need to delve into vulnerabilities in blockchain technology, develop new security techniques, and respond to various potential threats, such as hacking attacks and smart contract vulnerabilities.
For these types of positions, coin flow tracking may not be the most crucial skill, but it is still a valuable skill. After all, cybersecurity personnel, in addition to regularly conducting risk assessments and management, must quickly establish relevant cybersecurity incident response plans in the face of significant cybersecurity events occurring in the cryptocurrency space or coordinate the investigation and handling of cybersecurity incidents.
By tracking suspicious transactions on the blockchain, they can assist in early detection and prevention of various security incidents.
There is a strong global demand for such talents, and the salary levels for related positions in the United States are quite considerable.
Senior blockchain security engineers at Coinbase have an annual salary range of $175,000 to $206,000; many other remote blockchain-related technical positions often have salaries exceeding $100,000 to $150,000.
Although the salary transparency for blockchain security positions in Taiwan is relatively low, resulting in few relevant reports or data to review the actual salary range, it can be inferred that experienced blockchain security professionals in Taiwan likely have salary levels significantly higher than traditional IT security positions due to the high demand in the global market and the highly specialized skills required.
Blockchain Investigator (Private) / Prosecutorial Investigator (Law Enforcement):
In recent years, financial crimes involving blockchain have become increasingly serious. Investigators typically need to possess rich investigative experience and keen observational skills to promptly identify and address various criminal activities, such as money laundering, fraud, and market manipulation.
The main job of a blockchain investigator is to use professional tools to track and analyze the movement of cryptocurrencies on the blockchain, identify suspicious transaction patterns, and write detailed investigation reports to provide technical support and evidence for subsequent legal actions.
As law enforcement officers, prosecutors are responsible for receiving reports, initiating investigations, and collecting evidence through various means. They also require a certain level of blockchain skills or collaborate with blockchain investigators to analyze on-chain data, ultimately transferring criminal suspects for prosecution. Prosecutors possess legal powers, such as applying for search warrants and seizure orders, to comprehensively combat crime.
In recent years, many private companies have provided similar services, including professional consulting and blockchain transaction record analysis technologies, turning technical ledger records into analytical reports for clients' use in judicial and business fields.
In large international cryptocurrency or fintech companies, similar positions are often available, with analysts and investigation-related roles typically offering higher salaries, such as Coinbase analyst positions often exceeding $100,000 annually.
Currently, this is still a relatively emerging position in Taiwan, with extremely low salary transparency and few samples available.
However, considering that this position may require a rather unique mix of skills (technical + analytical + investigation/compliance) and plays a more critical role in high-risk, high-value cryptocurrency transactions, it can be inferred that experienced professionals in Taiwan may have salaries reaching or exceeding those of senior AML compliance officers or data analysts.
What is the difference between coin flow tracking on the business side and law enforcement agencies?
Having taught several blockchain practical courses for Taiwan's prosecutors and judicial personnel, the founder of Ruike Financial Technology Company, Tsai Meng-ling, stated that the applications of coin flow tracking are broad, but based on skill requirements and final objectives, they can be clearly divided into two major categories.
First, there are internal company needs. For example, cryptocurrency exchanges or other financial institutions need to possess coin flow tracking capabilities for risk management and compliance. This application mainly focuses on prevention and monitoring, analyzing on-chain data to identify potential anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) risks, including monitoring customer transaction behaviors for abnormalities, assessing whether the source of funds is suspicious, and tracking whether illicit funds flow into or out of the platform. This part of the work may focus more on establishing early warning mechanisms, executing KYC/AML processes, and meeting regulatory requirements.
However, another level of coin flow tracking requires skills specifically needed for prosecutors and investigative personnel handling criminal cases. This type of work involves not just monitoring and prevention but also in-depth investigations and evidence collection, aiming to clarify criminal facts and legally hold criminals accountable.
Tsai Meng-ling has repeatedly emphasized that this requires more specialized knowledge and experience, such as an understanding of criminal psychology, familiarity with legal procedures and evidence rules, and the ability to employ more complex analytical techniques to track funds that have gone through multiple layers of obfuscation. Since the results of coin flow tracking often serve as legal evidence, legal knowledge, particularly in terms of evidence recognition and report writing, is also crucial.
'Interpreting data actually relies heavily on the background of the person interpreting it,' Tsai Meng-ling continued, 'Whether they have a legal background or a criminal investigation mindset is very important. Because we are tracking criminals, not ordinary people, we need to understand what criminals are thinking and the characteristics of criminals.'
She illustrated with a vivid example that many professionals with a technical background can operate smoothly when conducting coin flow tracking and can trace a fund very deeply, but they may not necessarily understand the implications behind the actions of criminals or whether these funds can still be legally proven to be the same after going through so many layers of transfer.
Therefore, Tsai Meng-ling stated that while companies may also need basic coin flow tracking capabilities for risk management, truly applying coin flow tracking to criminal case investigations requires personnel with legal and investigative professional backgrounds to ensure the accuracy, legality, and ultimate legal efficacy of the investigation.
How to enter related industries?
Many people have a keen interest in the booming cryptocurrency industry, especially against the backdrop of increasingly complex financial crimes in recent years, making 'coin flow tracking' a particularly noteworthy emerging field.
Many people are curious about what kind of background and skills are needed to enter this challenging and opportunity-filled industry.
Tsai Meng-ling stated that she has had a strong interest in criminology since she was a child, majoring in crime prevention in both college and graduate school. Initially, she did not understand cryptocurrencies, but as related crimes increased, she began to apply her criminology expertise and investigative skills to this emerging field.
Chen Tsai-lu, CEO of the cryptocurrency financial investigation company Chainvestigate, graduated from National Taiwan University with a degree in law. He serendipitously entered a cryptocurrency exchange that also代理 blockchain analysis software. Since he was responsible for anti-money laundering at the exchange and assisted law enforcement in promoting and demonstrating the coin flow tracking system, he began to learn and acquire relevant skills, subsequently obtaining international certifications.
For newcomers who want to enter related industries, they offer the following three suggestions.
Suggestion 1: Find internship opportunities.
For fresh graduates aspiring to enter the coin flow tracking industry, actively seeking internship or entry-level opportunities is a crucial step. Tsai Meng-ling stated that many blockchain security companies, fintech companies, and even compliance departments of cryptocurrency exchanges may offer valuable internship opportunities, with outstanding performers having a better chance of securing permanent positions.
Suggestion 2: Participate in online and offline events to build networks.
At the same time, building a broad network is also crucial. By actively participating in offline or online seminars and lectures related to blockchain, fintech, cybersecurity, and other fields, one can expand their horizons, understand the latest industry trends, and connect with industry professionals. Joining relevant online communities, participating in discussions, and exchanging learning with peers can also provide access to the latest information and career opportunities.
Suggestion 3: Obtain relevant certifications.
Depending on one's career development direction, considering obtaining relevant certifications, such as certifications for blockchain analysis tools or the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) professional certification, can enhance a job application, proving that one possesses certain professional knowledge and skills.
With the continued expansion of the cryptocurrency market and the increasing sophistication of criminal methods, professionals who can effectively track and analyze the flow of digital assets will play an increasingly critical role in maintaining financial security and protecting investors' rights.
Chen Tsai-lu also stated, 'In the future, in the area of crime prevention, I believe that both public agencies and private institutions will have an increasing number of related job vacancies.'
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