On-Chain Analytics and AML Risk - How deep do you go?
Hey everyone, still relatively new to the compliance side of things, especially with crypto. I've been spending a fair bit of time trying to wrap my head around effective AML/CFT measures for businesses dealing with digital assets. We're obviously checking source of funds, doing KYC, the usual stuff. But when it comes to on-chain analytics, it feels like a rabbit hole. We've got tools that can trace transactions, identify mixers, darknet market exposure, etc.
My question is, where do you draw the line? I understand the need for due diligence, but there's a point where you could just keep digging endlessly into every single UTXO or transaction hop. How do you guys manage the scope of your on-chain analysis without drowning in data or incurring astronomical costs from third-party tools for every minor transaction? Is it risk-based, transaction size, jurisdiction, or something else entirely? Looking for practical insights on setting reasonable boundaries.
On-chain analytics is critical, but you need to define your risk appetite first. Trying to trace every single hop back to the dawn of time is impractical and expensive. Focus on establishing the immediate source and destination, and flag anything that shows high-risk clustering or known illicit addresses. Beyond that, it's about diminishing returns versus the compliance burden.