OSCE strengthens expertise on blockchain, digital assets and electronic evidence in Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, blockchain and digital-asset analysis are already being used in financial crime investigations: in 2024, 36 illegal crypto-exchanges with a turnover of about KZT 60 billion were dismantled, and 4.8 million USDT were frozen or confiscated; in 2025, the Financial Monitoring Agency analysed more than 4,000 crypto wallets and froze 9.7 million USDT.

Against this backdrop, from 14 to 18 September 2026, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in collaboration with the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Law Enforcement Academy under the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, organized a five-day training seminar on blockchain, digital assets and electronic evidence at the Law Enforcement Academy.

The seminar brought together 27 participants – 9 women and 18 men – from the Financial Monitoring Agency, the Law Enforcement Academy, the Ministry of Interior and the Anti-Corruption Service of the National Security Committee. Participants progressed from the fundamentals of blockchain technology to advanced practices in handling electronic evidence and digital traces. 

Key topics included the principles of blockchain technology; Kazakhstan’s legal and regulatory framework and international experience; combating money laundering; the use of digital assets in economic crime; and the role of electronic evidence and digital traces in criminal investigations. The seminar also examined how blockchain technology and digital assets create new economic opportunities while presenting emerging risks, including money laundering, tax evasion, and the concealment of evidence of criminal activity.

For Kazakhstan, building expertise in this field is important not only for effective law enforcement, but also for maintaining a reliable and attractive investment environment and meeting international FATF standards. The country is strengthening its response through measures such as shutting down illegal crypto platforms, confiscating digital assets, maintaining registries of criminal crypto wallets and enhancing oversight of large-scale crypto transactions. At the same time, the rapid pace of technological development requires law enforcement and financial monitoring authorities to continuously update their knowledge, skills, and tools.

The event reaffirmed the OSCE Programme Office in Astana’s commitment to strengthening Kazakhstan’s capacity to prevent, detect and investigate financial crime by promoting innovative, responsible and internationally aligned approaches. Through enhanced professional expertise, inter-agency co-operation and the effective use of advanced technologies, the Office continues to support Kazakhstan’s efforts to address emerging financial crime risks.