The FBI Crypto Recovery Project is a coordinated effort to help victims report digital asset theft and to assist investigations aimed at tracing and, where possible, recovering stolen funds. The project brings together specialist investigators, forensic analysts, and legal partners to:

• Collect transaction evidence and wallet information from victims.
• Trace on-chain movements using blockchain forensics.
• Coordinate with exchanges, custodians and law enforcement to freeze or reclaim assets when possible.

Note: success depends on speed of reporting, quality of evidence, and cooperation from third parties (exchanges, custodians, etc.).

Submitting a claim creates an official record that investigators can act on. Benefits include:

• Enabling forensic tracing of stolen funds.
• Increasing the chance exchanges will freeze suspect accounts when presented with a formal report.
• Allowing investigators to spot patterns and link multiple incidents (helpful for larger operations).

Even if recovery is not guaranteed, filing a claim helps build intelligence that may protect other victims and assist future prosecutions.

"Flagging" means we record the reported wallet/address in a database used to alert investigators and some partner platforms. A flagged address is not automatically blocked across the blockchain (that's technically impossible), but:

• Exchanges and custodians that query our database may review or freeze funds if they match compliance policies.
• Investigators can cross-reference flagged addresses to identify related activity or victims.
• Flags help compile evidence for law enforcement or civil recovery requests.

Flagging speed depends on verification and evidence quality. Typical timeline:

• If clear evidence is provided at submission, an initial flag or entry may be created within 24–72 hours.
• If the report requires additional verification (identifying correct on-chain transactions, linking wallets, or corroborating documents), it may take longer.

We recommend submitting all transaction IDs, wallet addresses, timestamps and communication evidence to speed the process.

Typical workflow after you submit a claim:

1. Intake: We verify your identity and the information you provided (transactions, timestamps, wallet addresses, screenshots).
2. Forensic Tracing: Analysts trace on-chain flows to identify exchanges or custodians where funds moved.
3. Engagement: If funds reach an exchange or custodian, investigators prepare a formal request or evidence package to ask that platform to freeze or disclose account details.
4. Legal/Recovery Steps: When possible, investigators coordinate with law enforcement or civil recovery partners to pursue asset recovery.
5. Updates: You receive periodic updates; some cases proceed quickly, others require lengthy, multi-jurisdictional coordination.

Your timely cooperation and complete evidence submission greatly improve investigators' ability to act.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Chances depend on:

• Speed: Reports made within hours/days of theft have higher recovery potential.
• Evidence quality: Transaction IDs, wallet addresses, timestamps and screenshots increase success odds.
• Where funds moved: If funds quickly reach a compliant exchange or custodial service, recovery is more likely than funds obfuscated across many addresses or privacy mixers.

Investigators will evaluate your case and advise whether active recovery steps are feasible. Even when recovery is unlikely, your report helps build intelligence that benefits other victims.

Several technical, legal and operational factors make crypto recovery difficult:

• Pseudonymity: Wallet addresses are not tied inherently to real-world identities.
• Rapid movement: Thieves often move funds across many addresses, chains or privacy services quickly.
• Cross-jurisdictional issues: Exchanges or services holding funds may operate in different countries with varying legal frameworks and response times.
• Cooperation required: Recovery usually needs cooperation from exchanges, custodians, or law enforcement—without their action funds often cannot be frozen or reclaimed.

Still, targeted tracing, fast reporting, and partner cooperation can and do lead to successful recoveries in many cases.