Lighthouse Sprints to CSAM Victory
A global cryptocurrency intelligence sprint called Operation Lighthouse has led to significant results in the fight against child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Chainalysis-led operation investigated 29,120 cryptocurrency addresses and digital identifiers, generating 14,300 investigative leads across 11 exchanges and payment services.
The sprint also surfaced more than 7,700 suspect accounts, identified suspects across 125 countries, and revealed that private-sector partners had already identified over 7,700 suspect accounts. Chainalysis described the operation as 'a first-of-its-kind sprint' that targeted CSAM platforms, forums, and distribution networks across both the surface web and dark web.
The public nature of Bitcoin transactions allowed investigators to map fund movements between cryptocurrency addresses, although an address does not independently reveal its owner. By combining this information with exchange records, payment data, and law enforcement evidence, investigators were able to identify account holders.