Blockchain & Digital Asset Disputes

Blockchain and digital asset disputes present distinctive forensic challenges. The immutability and transparency of on-chain transaction data can provide a detailed record of fund movements, but interpreting that data in the context of a dispute requires an understanding of the specific blockchain protocol, the smart contracts involved, and the off-chain systems (such as exchange platforms and custody solutions) that interact with the chain. I conduct on-chain analysis to trace cryptocurrency flows, identify wallet ownership patterns, and reconstruct transaction histories. Where the dispute involves an exchange platform, I examine the platform's trading infrastructure, order matching logic, and internal ledger to assess allegations such as wash trading, market manipulation, or improper handling of customer assets.

Source code analysis is a central component of many blockchain disputes. Cryptocurrency trading systems are technically complex, often integrating directly with blockchain nodes, maintaining real-time order books, and executing automated trading strategies. I have provided expert evidence in proceedings involving the forensic analysis of such systems, including in Terraform Labs Pte Ltd v Wintermute Trading Ltd [2024] EWHC 737 (KB), where I analysed cryptocurrency trading code architecture to distinguish between trading algorithms, execution code, and integration systems. This type of analysis requires the ability to read and understand code across multiple programming languages and frameworks, and to explain technical architecture in terms that are accessible to the tribunal.

Smart contract disputes raise their own set of technical issues. Smart contracts are programmes deployed to a blockchain that execute automatically when specified conditions are met, and they are increasingly used to manage significant financial value through decentralised finance (DeFi) protocols. I review smart contract code (typically written in Solidity for Ethereum-based systems) to identify vulnerabilities, assess whether the contract behaves as documented, and determine whether any exploitable functionality was present. In cases involving multisig wallet compromises, I investigate the technical mechanism by which control of the wallet was obtained, including the analysis of malicious code, social engineering vectors, and key management failures.