In a job posting, the law-enforcement agency said it’s creating a “specialized cryptocurrency and virtual assets team” to support investigations, trace and recover assets on blockchains, and identify targets for “further development.” Applicants need British security clearances. (The Logic)

Talking point: Crypto fraud has risen along with investments in the sector—in Canada, the RCMP said last March that the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre had received reports of frauds totalling $75 million in 2021, after tallying $12.6 million in reported losses tied to crypto investment scams in the previous three years. Crypto can be at the core of a scam (as in the cases of Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, who have pleaded guilty to FTX-related frauds) or a means of moving money related to a more conventional crime such as extortion. The British NCA runs “intelligence-led” investigations itself, into matters such as bribery, cybercrime and money laundering, and supports other U.K. police with specialized expertise. The new team is to start with five officers.