BITCRIMEPartners
University of Münster
The University of Münster (WWU),, through the Department of Information Systems and the research group of Prof. Dr. Rainer Böhme, is coordinating the German consortium and acting as the spokesperson of the whole project. The WWU is involved at multiple locations in all German work packages and brings in organizational, technical and economic contributions. Prof. Dr. Böhme is a proven expert in the area of virtual currencies.
Besides the coordination and communication of the project, the WWU contributes with basic and applied research to the accomplishment of project goals. The economic potentials and risks affiliated with the use of virtual currencies are investigated empirically, from the perspective of users, points of acceptance and intermediaries. Additionally, the WWU is involved in investigating the suitability of current technologies for the identification and tracking of compromised financial transactions in virtual currencies. Lastly, the WWU participates in the search for adequate pre-emptive regulatory approaches.
Contact
Dr. Paulina Jo Pesch, Project Coordinator
E-mail: paulina.pesch@uni-muenster.de
Empolis Information Management GmbH
The Empolis Information Management GmbH is the leading provider of Smart Information Management Software. Smart Information Management means the creation, management, analysis, intelligent processing and provision of all information relevant for a business process, independent of source, format, user, location and device. The Empolis Information Management GmbH was consortium leader for the research programme THESEUS1 of the BMWi, working in different areas. In the project BITCRIME, Empolis Information Management GmbH is significantly involved in the creation of a demonstrator for a possible approach on the regulation of virtual currencies.
Contact
Sergii Poluektov
E-mail: sergii.poluektov@empolis.com
Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg
The Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) is involved in the German project through the Institute for Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminology, namely Prof. Dr. Christoph Safferling. His main focus is (international) criminal law, especially (international) criminal proceedings. Within the project, the FAU is contributing to these areas. In the area of substantive criminal law, the main focus is on investigating different behaviors in the context of virtual currencies according to available elements of crime, identifying gaps in criminal liability. In this context, it is not only being looked at the criminal milieu of transactions in virtual currency, for example financial crime, money laundering and terrorist financing, but also at risks of criminal liability for users of virtual financial transactions. Furthermore, concepts for regulation and prevention, which are being developed with other project partners, are checked for their compliance with criminal procedural law and constitutional law.
Contact
Johanna Grzywotz
E-mail: johanna.grzywotz@fau.de
Christian Rückert, Ass. iur.
E-mail: christian.rueckert@fau.de
Federal Criminal Police Office
The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is subordinate to the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and central office of the German criminal police. The Criminalistic Institute, BKA’s Institute of Law Enforcement Studies, Operational Technology and Training, pursues application- and future-oriented research, development and analysis. In doing so, new police issues are picked up and new approaches and techniques are researched, developed and provided for the stakeholder. A strong cooperation with powerful scientific and research institutes is indispensable for this, creating collaborative networks a constant task. The research focuses of the “Cybercrime Research and Advisory Unit” are within the criminological and criminalistic examinations of the phenomenon “cybercrime”. In the project BITCRIME, the BKA is researching possibilities of police investigation in the field of virtual currencies, especially in regard to practical and legal restrictions. For this, a virtual currency will be emulated in a test environment.
Contact
IZ 36 - Forschungs- und Beratungsstelle Cybercrime
E-mail: IZ 36@bka.bund.de
dence GmbH
The dence GmbH develops and markets tools for the forensic analysis of digital data. The spin-off company of the TU Dresden is specialised in authentication of digital media. In the past, Dr. Thomas Gloe and his colleagues have been working extensively with federal agencies of the German police and have excellent references with European police- and judicial authorities, as well as reputable European financial institutions. In the project BITCRIME, the dence GmbH is working in close collaboration with the BKA on research issues regarding limitations on criminal investigations caused by the anonymity of virtual currencies. The focus here is on possibilities in analysing dubious transactions. Additionally, dence GmbH is developing technical proposals to include users in the possible regulations of virtual currencies.
Contact
Dr. Thomas Gloe, Managing Director
E-mail: thomas.gloe@dence.de
Additional associated partners
- University of Freiburg (ALU), Institute for Computer Science and Society
- Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA)
- Bitcoin Deutschland AG
- Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA)
- Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin)
- German Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (Bitkom)