Amsterdam-based Crystal Intelligence, a blockchain intelligence and compliance solutions provider, has received a strategic investment from Tether, a major company in the digital asset sector.
This investment supports Crystal Intelligence’s ongoing efforts to enhance blockchain analytics capabilities, including risk monitoring, fraud detection, and regulatory intelligence.
Tether’s investment in Crystal Intelligence supports its broader effort to combat illicit use of stablecoins, assist law enforcement, and strengthen compliance systems. The move is part of Tether’s ongoing work to ensure that digital assets are issued and managed in line with regulatory standards.
Navin Gupta, CEO of Crystal Intelligence, says, “As the crypto industry matures, so must its foundations of trust and intelligence. Tether’s backing is both a validation of the work we’ve done together and a joint commitment to future-proofing the industry through actionable insight, integrity, and innovation.”
“We see too many players waiting for mandates. At Crystal, we believe responsible innovation means getting ahead of threats and not just reacting to them.”
Blockchain tools for crime detection
Founded in 2018, Crystal Intelligence is a blockchain analytics firm that supports financial institutions, regulators, and law enforcement with tools for transaction monitoring, investigations, and compliance.
Its platform helps organisations meet anti-money laundering (AML) requirements and track crypto-related activity in real time.
Currently, the company offers two main editions: Crystal Expert, a web-based application, and Crystal API, which allows integration through a REST API. Both operate on Crystal’s servers located in the EU.
Crystal Expert is used to screen crypto transactions, monitor risk, and visualise asset flows. It supports 335 blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Solana. The platform serves banks, exchanges, virtual asset providers, government bodies, and investigators.
Capital utilisation
The funding will help Crystal Intelligence make its tools more available to investigators, regulators, and organisations that track blockchain activity.
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, says, “Tether is firmly committed to supporting law enforcement agencies in a shared effort to combat illicit activity. With the latest in advanced intelligence tools, like those being developed by Crystal Intelligence, we are enhancing our ability to assist authorities in tracing the movement of funds in real time.”
“Tether has already contributed to freezing billions in unlawful funds and has supported investigations across dozens of jurisdictions. This strategic investment will strengthen our capacity to collaborate more effectively and reinforce a clear message: USD₮ is the digital dollar for the people, bad actors will be stopped.”
In 2024, cryptocurrency scam losses in the US surpassed $9.3B, according to the FBI, marking a 66 per cent rise from the previous year. In light of this, Tether has expanded its support for law enforcement agencies investigating the misuse of stablecoins.
So far, Tether has collaborated with over 255 agencies in 55 regions, including the FBI and US Secret Service, and has frozen more than $2.7B worth of its USDT tokens that were linked to suspicious activity
Tether and Crystal Intelligence also support Scam Alert, a website that shows which crypto wallet addresses are linked to scams or harmful activity in real time.
Brief about Tether
Tether was founded in 2014 to create a blockchain-based tool for digital transactions. Its core product, USD₮, allows users to move value between crypto exchanges and across borders using a token linked to the US dollar.
USD₮ has been used for trading, remittances, and protecting savings in markets facing currency instability.
Over time, Tether has expanded its focus beyond stablecoins. The company is involved in areas such as Bitcoin mining, peer-to-peer communication, education, AI, and neurotechnology. These efforts aim to support digital infrastructure, improve access to technology, and explore new ways of connecting people and information.
Tether also supports decentralised communication platforms and energy-focused mining initiatives.
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