JANUS

Abstract

JANUS is a European project focused on the analysis, traceability, and attribution of cryptocurrency transactions, with the objective of detecting and investigating illicit activities such as money laundering, ransomware payments, and other forms of cybercrime.

The project aims to develop advanced analytical capabilities for tracking cryptocurrency flows, identifying suspicious behavior, and linking blockchain activity to real-world entities. By combining blockchain analytics, data correlation, and investigative techniques, JANUS supports cybersecurity operations and law enforcement efforts in combating financial cybercrime.

Details

I participate in the JANUS project as a researcher and developer, contributing to the de-anonymization and forensic analysis of Bitcoin transactions.

My work focuses on applying and combining multiple techniques to identify relationships between cryptocurrency wallets and real-world actors. This includes the use of heuristic clustering methods, transaction graph analysis, and OSINT techniques to uncover ownership patterns and behavioral links within the Bitcoin network.

In addition, I work on the correlation of network-level data, including the extraction and analysis of IP address information associated with cryptocurrency activity. This involves leveraging both custom-developed tooling and external intelligence sources, such as Shodan, to enrich blockchain data with contextual information beyond the ledger itself.

As part of the project, I developed custom analysis tools and services to automate data collection, processing, and correlation, enabling scalable and repeatable investigations. The project combines applied research with operational tooling and provides technical support for cybercrime investigations and law enforcement use cases, contributing to practical and actionable cryptocurrency forensic capabilities.

Technologies

• Programming Languages: Python, C

• Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin protocol, Bitcoin Core node

• Data Analysis & Forensics: Transaction graph analysis, heuristic clustering, cryptocurrency forensics

• OSINT & Intelligence: OSINT techniques, Shodan

• APIs & Services: FastAPI

• Automation & Scraping: Selenium

• Databases: MongoDB

• DevOps & Deployment: Docker

• Domains: Cybercrime investigation, blockchain analytics, security research