On Monday, Barron’s reported that Anchorage Digital, the cryptocurrency-focused financial institution, has allegedly drawn scrutiny from a specialized division within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Barron’s: Anchorage Digital Subject of Homeland Security Probe
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Report Claims Anchorage Digital Faces DHS Probe
The El Dorado Task Force (EDTF), a financial crimes unit targeting illicit monetary flows, is said to be scrutinizing the bank. Barron’s correspondent Rebecca Ungarino first disclosed the inquiry on April 14, though she emphasized that the “nature of the previously unreported probe was unclear.”
Ungarino further stated that neither Anchorage nor Homeland Security officials offered statements when pressed for clarification. Launched in 2017 by co-founders Diogo Mónica and Nathan McCauley, the San Francisco-based firm operates globally, with hubs in New York, Porto, Singapore, and Sioux Falls.
Anchorage holds the distinction of being the first federally chartered digital asset bank in the U.S., sanctioned by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in 2021. That same year, the U.S. Marshals Service enlisted Anchorage to safeguard confiscated cryptocurrencies alongside contractors Bitgo and Coinbase.
EDTF’s standalone Cyber Division specializes in digital offenses and blockchain-linked transactions. Public records indicate the task force has contributed to dismantling operations involving crypto-based fraud, clandestine online markets, and illicit finance schemes. Among its targets was Empire Market, a darknet platform implicated in $430 million of unlawful exchanges, culminating in the seizure of $75 million in digital currencies and assets.
