Bitcoin in Divorce: Undisclosed Cryptocurrency

Non-disclosure of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency assets has increasingly become a problem in many divorce cases. We help lawyers and their clients find and prove existence of cryptocurrency funds if and when they do exist, in addition to helping recover the appropriate share of funds through our advisory to legal professionals and strong connections with cryptocurrency exchanges.

Our findings have uncovered millions of dollars of hidden or non-disclosed assets in the form of cryptocurrency in numerous cases leading to favorable outcomes for our clients.

Bitcoin is extremely transparent and auditable. It is neither anonymous nor impossible to track as some people believe. We have the skills, knowledge, and tools that allow us to track and perform forensic analysis for cryptocurrency assets with ease.

Cryptocurrency has proven to be a rising problem in many divorces due to its pseudonymity and non-custodial nature. Due to a rise in value of many cryptocurrencies over time, wealth hidden in this asset class can be quite substantial; easily in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions of dollars. It is actually (based upon cases we’ve reviewed thus far) quite common for divorcees to significantly underestimate the portfolio value of their spouse/ex-spouse; our findings in many cases show a considerably higher portfolio value than what was originally estimated.

Even disregarding price appreciation, cryptocurrency provides an excellent opportunity for individuals looking for a ‘safe haven’ to hide their wealth in a stable manner by utilizing stablecoins. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that have prices pegged to another asset, often the US dollar.

Our investigations are extremely thorough and we start by assessing if an individual owns any Bitcoin or cryptocurrency, and if so, through a combination of blockchain forensics, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and extensive experience & contextual knowledge, we determine which cryptocurrencies they own and the value of their portfolio. Almost always, we point lawyers towards exchanges and services to subpoena, which enables even further forensics and discovery.

We substantiate these findings in a report, which can be used in a court of law if need be, and throughout the process offer advice on appropriate courses of action to take in order to ensure the most favorable outcome for our clients going through a divorce.