About us

Founded in 2021, Iknaio provides operational services around the open-source cryptoasset analytics platform GraphSense. Iknaio offers these services to investigators from national authorities, law enforcement agencies, security companies, and the payment industry to help them uncover and trace criminally relevant crypto-based transactions. Iknaio also offers several customer-specific extensions built on top of GraphSense. Iknaio offers a cryptoasset analytics platform that has been designed as data science platform from the very beginning. Like other tools it provides a dashboard for manual investigations but, more importantly, each investigation step is also executable automatically. This is a pre-condition for automation and the enabler for establishing automated forensics, compliance, and reporting workflows.

Values and Mission

We have a strong background in science and a passion for technology and see that some techniques used in cryptoassets could advance innovation in the financial sector.

While we certain technologies used in cryptoassets interesting, we are committed to preventing their misuse for illicit activities. We believe that it is essential to provide vetted authorities with the necessary tools to combat such activities efficiently. Furthermore, we recognize that sustainable growth and long-term trust in emerging technologies depend on a comprehensive understanding and management of risks.

To this end, we must ensure that the high volatility and risk inherent in the crypto space do not negatively impact users in the traditional financial sector. This requires robust risk management protocols that can prevent any potential failures in the crypto market from spilling over and causing harm to users in more established financial systems. Therefore, our vision is to provide services that help authorities and businesses in understanding money flows in the cryptoasset ecosystem. We acknowledge that current investigation practices for cryptoassets have significant limitations. Response times are often slow due to the high cost and limited availability of specialized tools. Furthermore, investigators frequently find themselves working on the same cases without the benefit of knowledge sharing, which can lead to inefficiencies and redundancies. Finally, the highly complex nature of money laundering networks, which are often generated and controlled by machines, can make it challenging for investigators to follow the money manually.

In our view, the best way to address these challenges is through the widespread availability of basic cryptoasset tracing tools and increased automation. By automating certain processes and enabling investigators to collaborate more effectively, we can improve response times and streamline investigations.

As scientists, we understand that data sovereignty is an essential prerequisite for implementing effective and cost-efficient analytics workflows. In addition, we recognize that true comprehension of results is only achievable if the underlying data is both available and interpretable. These considerations are especially important when evidence resulting from cryptoasset investigations must be presented and defended in court or when reproducible facts are necessary for informed policy-making in the cryptoasset space.

To ensure the highest level of transparency and accountability in our services, we have made a commitment to open-source software and detailed data provenance records. This approach ensures that our software is accessible to all and that our processed data points can be traced back to their original sources. We believe that this level of transparency is essential to building trust in the cryptoasset ecosystem and fostering a culture of responsible data use. Ultimately, our goal is to provide our clients with the tools and resources they need to make informed decisions based on accurate, reliable data.

At the core of our philosophy is the concept of co-creation. We recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the complex challenges posed by cybercrime and the misuse of cryptoassets. Instead, we believe that the most effective tools are those that are highly specialized on solving a specific problem and, at the same time, open enough to be integrated into broader forensic workflows tailored to needs of investigators.

Therefore, we advocate for public-private partnerships that bring together experts with diverse but complementary backgrounds. By collaborating and sharing expertise, we are developing additional product features and make them available to our customers. We believe that this approach is key to promoting innovation and advancing the fight against cybercrime and the abuse of cryptoassets.

Our commitment to co-creation extends beyond the development of tools. We also support our customers in becoming more efficient and effective by implementing highly automized data-driven forensics, compliance, and reporting workflows.

In summary, our vision is to streamline and automate cryptoasset investigations for our customers, by providing a user-friendly technology accessible from any desk, enabling them to access transparent information and make informed decisions. We aspire to empower everyone with the tools they need to navigate the complex world of cryptoassets.

Iknaio is a limited liability company headquartered in Austria. We are proud to be a spin-off of the Complexity Science Hub, an internationally recognized center of excellence for complexity science research. Our founding owners bring a wealth of scientific, technical, and domain expertise to our team, particularly in cryptoasset analytics.

At Iknaio, we believe that our diverse and highly experienced ownership team is the foundation of our success. By combining cutting-edge scientific research with real-world expertise in software development, data engineering, and law enforcement, we are uniquely positioned to provide our clients with innovative, effective, and trustworthy solutions for the challenges posed by cryptoasset investigations.

Gender and Diversity

At Iknaio, we understand the significance of diversity and gender equity. We believe that a varied workforce brings different perspectives, which can foster innovation and enhance our overall performance. Our commitment extends beyond just hiring practices; we strive to create an environment where everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities. As we navigate the tech industry, our dedication to diversity and inclusion remains consistent, ensuring that we stay attuned to the diverse needs of the communities we serve.

Disclaimer

Iknaio provides cutting-edge investigative capabilities to vetted authorities and security professionals worldwide, empowering them to combat the abuse of cryptoassets and make informed decisions about potential risks. However, it is important to note that the use of our services is subject to the laws and legal procedures of the jurisdiction to which a security professional belongs.

At Iknaio, we recognize that security is a necessary precondition for trust in the marketplace and protection of online rights. Therefore, the use of our services must comply with these principles. Specifically, it is strictly forbidden to use Iknaio to engage in any unethical interactions or activities of a political, military, religious, or racist nature.

We take our responsibility to combat the abuse of cryptoassets seriously and will work tirelessly to ensure that our services are used for lawful purposes only. We believe that by upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct, we can build long-term trust with our clients and help create a safer, more secure digital world for all.

Team

Michael Fröwis, Ph.D.

Michael Fröwis has 5+ years of experience in cryptoasset analytics. He recently finished his Ph.D. in Computer Science, at the University of Innsbruck. His main research interest are program analysis techiques for cryptoasset analytics. During his studies he worked on multiple international research projects focusing on law enforcement in the crypto-space.

Dr. Bernhard Haslhofer

Bernhard has been leading research and development around GraphSense for more than six years, is a primary contributor to the open-source code base, and is a co-founder of Iknaio. He has a Ph.D. in Computer Science, spent his PostDoc years at Cornell University, and has been working in cryptoasset analytics since the early days of Bitcoin. He also leads the CryptoFinance research group at the Complexity Science Hub Vienna.

Dr. Ross King

Ross King is a co-founder of Iknaio and is responsible for research funding. He leads the AIT unit "Data Science & Artificial Intelligence" and has coordinated multiple international projects focused on cryptocurrencies. He has a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University.

Matthias Rella

As an expert in Web technologies, Matthias Rella is a primary contributor and responsible for GraphSense's REST API development and its Dashboard and client tools. He holds master's degrees in Computer Science and Linguistics and has worked in Web-based information management for more than ten years.

Rainer Stütz

Rainer Stütz has 15+ years of extensive experience in data crunching. He is also a primary contributor to GraphSense and is responsible for backend development and large-scale analytics. His background is in applied mathematics, and he has a keen interest in computational statistics and big data.

Karl Zettl

Karl Zettl is co-founder and CEO of Iknaio Cryptoasset Analytics GmbH and is responsible for sales and marketing and business development. He has been working in different management positions in project management, business development, and sales for more than 15 years, focusing on the payment industry for CEE and DACH region.