Tens of billions of dollars flow into illicit crypto wallets annually. While most blockchains are public, mixing services, cross-chain bridges, and privacy coins make tracking money flows extremely challenging. However, an innovation from Nimiq, a blockchain-based payment system, and the University of Birmingham is set to change things.
SynapTrack was unveiled at CyberASAP Demo Day on February 25, 2026. It’s a new Anti-Money Laundering (AML) framework designed to help combat cross-chain crypto laundering. SynapTrack offers superior efficiency and detection accuracy compared to current systems. Additionally, it can automatically adapt to criminal tactics, providing an edge in the rapidly changing crypto ecosystem.
SynapTrack’s Early Test Results are Promising
SynapTrack has already undergone early testing using real-world data. The assessment yielded highly positive results. Researchers evaluated it using data from the 2025 Bybit hack, in which attackers stole $1.5 billion. SynapTrack maintained a false positive rate of less than 2% when tracing illicit activity flows.
False positives are a significant bottleneck to tracing illicit crypto flows. They account for 90% to 95% of alerts from traditional rule-based AML systems. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-integrated systems are more efficient, often achieving false-positive rates below 10%.
By achieving a false-positive rate below 2%, SynapTrack saves significant manpower. Resources that authorities would have previously dedicated to manually reviewing false positives can now be directed to following up on promising leads, potentially increasing the conviction rate against attackers.
When launderers move crypto across blockchains or via bridges, it becomes much harder to track illicit activity. Unfortunately, these techniques are standard amongst criminals. SynapTrack targets these transactions, leveraging blockchain-aware pattern analysis and a self-improving algorithm to stay on top of the constantly evolving criminal strategies.
Who Created SynapTrack?
SynapTrack was developed using research by Dr. Pascal Berrang and PhD student Endong Liu at the University of Birmingham. Nimiq provided implementation support and real-world blockchain constraints.
Discussing SynapTrack, Dr. Pascal Berrang said:
“The last few years have seen a near-exponential growth in blockchain transactions. While many of these are legitimate, blockchains are attractive to criminals as funds can be moved very quickly to other jurisdictions. Our work with Nimiq and the creation of SynapTrack is addressing this black spot, and will enable more effective regulation, making the whole ecosystem of blockchain safer and more trustworthy.”
Nimiq’s global ecosystem developer, Max Burger, had this to say:
“SynapTrack is the first product milestone of a research-driven effort to make blockchain investigations more scalable, especially when laundering patterns evolve and cross-chain activity complicates analysis. We’re opening it up to developers, researchers, and the wider crypto community for testing, feedback, and collaborative improvement.”
How SynapTrack Could Impact Anti-Money Laundering (AML) in Crypto
So, how could SynapTrack impact the cryptocurrency industry? Accountability and transparency are at the forefront of the conversation. The ability to better track funds laundered across blockchains will help lift the veil on high-profile hacks, giving law enforcement a better chance of catching attackers and helping to dissuade further attempts.
Utilizing the SynapTrack system, exchanges could collaborate to freeze/recover assets tied to hacks. It will make blacklisting specific crypto assets easier, making it more difficult for bad actors to cash out. Similarly, greater accountability for criminals provides additional avenues of recourse for scam victims.
Early tests are promising, and SynapTrack solves a real, high-value issue in the crypto space. So, it’ll be interesting to see how the framework performs now that SynapTrack is public and ready to be unleashed onto a broader set of scenarios.
With over half a decade of experience commentating on the cryptocurrency market and even more as a trader and investor, Jay has developed a robust knowledge base that enables him to dive deep into the inner workings of crypto platforms and the broader market to deliver unique, user-focused insight.
Jay's work has spanned public relations firms, crypto projects, affiliate sites, and news outlets.
