Tracers in the Dark The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency By Andy Greenberg

From the award-winning author of Sandworm comes "Tracers in the Dark," a propulsive story revealing how a new breed of investigators cracked the Bitcoin blockchain, exposing realms of money, drugs, and violence once thought to be anonymous.

“I love the book… It reads like a thriller… These stories are amazing.” —Michael Lewis

Over the past decade, cryptocurrency has massively fueled digital black markets. Crime lords, operating in lawless internet corners, have used currencies with anonymous ledgers, overseen by no government, to evade law enforcement. They believed they had robbed authorities of their chief weapon: following the money.

But what if their currency wasn’t so cryptic? With the right mix of technical wizardry, financial forensics, and persistence, an investigator could uncover a world of wrongdoing. "Tracers in the Dark" is a story of crime and pursuit unlike any other. Cybersecurity reporter Andy Greenberg, with unprecedented access to federal law enforcement and private industry players, tells a saga of criminal empires built and destroyed. He introduces an IRS agent with a defiant streak, a Bitcoin-tracing Danish entrepreneur, and a colorful ensemble of agents and prosecutors diving deep into the crypto-underworld.

The result is a thrilling, globe-spanning story of dirty cops, drug bazaars, trafficking rings, and the biggest takedown of an online narcotics market in internet history. "Tracers in the Dark" is a cat-and-mouse tale of technological one-upmanship, filled with maneuvering and shocking twists, exploring how the world's most brazen criminals behave when they believe they can never be caught.