The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has released guidance for government investigation teams to recover Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital assets used in criminal activity. This takes into account the low effectiveness of foreclosures in more than 80% of jurisdictions.
of Asset recovery guide and best practices We will explain in detail the simple steps from policy to victim return. “Public blockchains provide an immutable, real-time ledger that supports rapid tracking and recovery,” FATF said in the publication.
As Chainalysis notes in a report released today, November 13, 2025, a new set of recommendations makes it possible to seize Bitcoin more effectively and quickly than traditional high-value items. The company’s research recently revealed that more than 90,000 Bitcoins remain illegal, awaiting government seizure.
This guide urges you to prioritize digital assets to protect the world’s financial system. And in this regard, the FATF requires: Treats Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as separate asset classes. It also calls for the enactment of an acceleration law that would provide more clarity to speed up seizures.
The guide insists that training should begin with the first contact with a suspect or crime scene. It recommends that not only money laundering and terrorist financing experts, but also non-financial personnel such as ordinary police officers, be trained to instantly identify Bitcoin and virtual currencies. This includes seizing hardware wallets during raids, seed phrases in documents or digital files, exchange accounts, and crypto wallets on devices associated with crimes.
However, the FATF guide is exhaustive in aspects such as tracking, initial seizure, and safe storage using cold or multi-signature wallets, but it does highlight some notable points. Omission of specific recommendations to prevent internal theft Judicial management of crypto assets.
This inaction becomes especially clear when we consider real-world events, such as the one that occurred in Spain in April 2025. In the country, an employee of the Marbella judiciary was arrested on suspicion of stealing approximately 17 million euros in confiscated crypto assets, making it the largest case of its kind in the country to date.
The incident was investigated by the National Police and revealed weaknesses in internal detention protocols. This is because the suspect has access to your private key. Digital asset wallet under judicial control, transfer of funds Wait 3 months to avoid immediate discovery and then send to your personal account.
As reported by CriptoNoticias, on November 11, 2025, in direct response to the April 2025 theft, Spain’s Interior Ministry awarded Prosegur a €2.8 million (approximately $3.24 million) contract for cloud management and storage of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies seized during police raids.
Rather, the gap in FATF guidance that does not explicitly address insider threats, such as background checks, routine audits, and access segregation for judicial personnel, highlights the need for countries to complement these global recommendations with stronger regional policies.
Although the document emphasizes preserving asset values through transfer to national control programs (such as Peru’s National Seized Assets Program), Does not provide detailed strategies to reduce corruption risks or internal neglect during a prolonged stage of detention. This could generate future updates based on lessons learned from events such as Spain.
