The Western Canada Cryptocurrency Investigations Centre has been launched through a collaboration between the Calgary police department and blockchain data firm Chainalysis. The joint task force will work to address the increasing cryptocurrency-related crime in Western Canada, with a particular focus on scams. Chainalysis has reported that Canada has seen a significant increase in cryptocurrency adoption rates, with a near 213% increase since 2019 as of January 2023.
The Calgary police department will use Chainalysis’ expertise to augment its investigator training programs and provide case support around the clock. The program is set to expand to serve more law enforcement agencies in Western Canada and eventually scale globally.