ECTEG expands training for cryptocurrency investigations and digital evidence
Contents
TL;DR At a glance
An EU update describes blockchain investigation training for police and judicial authorities, including practical labs and cryptoasset seizure procedures.
What the European Commission announced
The European Commission reported on 29 October 2026 that the European Cybercrime Training and Education Group (ECTEG) had published new materials for digital forensic investigations and combating cybercrime. The packages are intended for law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities. They include training in blockchain and cryptocurrency investigations, alongside electronic evidence and MacOS analysis.
The announcement describes cooperation with Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Eurojust and operational law enforcement units. It says the course materials are free for the law enforcement audience. This is an announcement about professional training, not a public application process for recovering stolen cryptocurrency.
How the cryptocurrency course is organised
ECTEG’s project page separates the cryptocurrency course into a basic online module on blockchain and an advanced, on-site module focused on investigations. The intended participants range from officers needing introductory knowledge to specialists and judicial authorities handling cryptocurrency-related crime.
The course combines theory with practical work. ECTEG also describes cooperation with Eurojust’s European Judicial Cybercrime Network to map EU procedures and differing rules for seizing cryptoassets. That legal component matters: understanding a blockchain transaction and establishing the legal basis to seize assets are separate tasks. The project page names the French Gendarmerie as project lead.
What this means for people reporting crypto crime
The update documents an effort to improve investigative capacity. It does not report a particular seizure, identify recovered funds or establish a compensation deadline. Readers should not treat the training announcement as evidence that money from an individual case has been recovered.
For someone following a fraud case, the useful distinction is between investigator training, an operational result and a victim payment process. Those stages require different evidence. A claim that this announcement authorises a recovery service would need separate verification; neither cited page provides such an authorisation.
Evidence & sources
Source record: · Checked:
Record limits · Based on the European Commission update published on 29 October 2026 and ECTEG’s course description.
- Source reported
The Commission announced new ECTEG cybercrime training materials for law enforcement and judicial authorities.
Supporting excerpt: New training materials for law enforcement to combat cybercrime
The courses are designed for law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities
New training materials for law enforcement to combat cybercrime ↗ - Source reported
ECTEG describes online basic and on-site advanced cryptocurrency investigation modules.
- Source reported
The announcement concerns training materials available free to law enforcement.
Supporting excerpt: New training materials for law enforcement to combat cybercrime
All course materials are available free of charge
New training materials for law enforcement to combat cybercrime ↗
