Following the Money is a Q&A series that spotlights how Chainalysis customers use our products in the real world — from compliance teams and investigators to pioneers driving crypto adoption.
Oscar Camblain is the Financial Crime Officer at Bitstack.
1. Hot wallet or hardware wallet?
While hot wallets are convenient for day-to-day transactions, I’ll always advocate for hardware wallets when it comes to long-term security. They minimize exposure to online threats by keeping private keys offline, therefore greatly reducing the risk of compromise. It’s about applying the same principles of risk mitigation we use institutionally to our personal practices.
2. Which blockchain do you think will define the next 5 years?
Bitcoin. It remains the most resilient, secure, and battle-tested network in the space. While many chains will continue to innovate in terms of scalability and smart-contract functionality, Bitcoin’s strength lies in its simplicity and its unmatched trust layer, in my opinion.
Over the next five years, I believe it will continue to anchor institutional confidence and serve as the benchmark for transparency and security. That being said, stablecoins are becoming one of the most significant developments right now, particularly in Europe with the introduction of the MiCA framework. They bridge traditional finance and crypto, offering real-world utility for payments, remittances, and cross-border settlements.
3. What’s a piece of crypto slang you secretly love (or hate)?
I have a soft spot for “HODL.” It started as a typo, but it’s become a perfect metaphor for conviction through volatility. In compliance, it’s also a reminder that while markets move fast, building sustainable and compliant ecosystems requires patience and long-term thinking.
4. Who’s someone in the crypto compliance world you admire — and why?
I admire Tigran Gambaryan. He is a former IRS criminal investigator who became Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance. He has been a pioneer in bringing traditional law-enforcement rigor and accountability into the crypto industry, proving that blockchain intelligence can be a force for good in the fight against financial crime.
What struck me most was his experience in Nigeria in 2024, where he was detained for months while engaging in regulatory discussions on behalf of Binance. Despite being accused of the very crimes he has dedicated his career to preventing, he was never found guilty, and his conduct throughout that ordeal reflected complete transparency and integrity. His composure and ethical strength under such extreme circumstances were remarkable. To me, his story is a reminder that true compliance work often means standing firm for transparency and truth even when the cost is personal.
5. What’s one thing you learned the hard way in this field?
That great compliance, especially in the cryptocurrency industry, has to be very dynamic. We have to be able to react quickly, and need various levers and tools to react to changes in regulations, typologies, and risks that evolve constantly. So, adaptability is just as important as technical knowledge. The key is building systems and teams that can pivot quickly without compromising integrity or user experience.
6. What’s something Chainalysis helped you explain to someone outside your team?
Chainalysis has been invaluable in helping me show non-technical stakeholders that blockchain isn’t a black box. Visualizing transaction flows and exposure patterns makes it much easier to demonstrate how illicit activity can be traced and why proactive monitoring protects both users and the company’s reputation.
7. If you were onboarding a newbie, what’s the first lesson you’d teach?
I’d start by teaching them that Chainalysis isn’t just a set of tools; it’s a lens for understanding behavior on the blockchain. With KYT and Reactor, it’s easy to get caught up in the technical side, but the real value comes from interpreting what you see. I’d emphasise that every alert, transaction, or cluster tells a story about intent, risk, and human behavior.
The first lesson is to stay curious and analytical. Don’t just react to data; investigate it. Once they grasp that mindset, using KYT to monitor exposure or Reactor to trace funds becomes second nature, and they begin to see how these tools empower proactive, data-driven compliance.
This website contains links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein.
This material is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Recipients should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with Recipient’s use of this material.
Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in this report and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.