Rollan Forensics
Industry Analysis

Why "Generalist" Forensic Accountants Miss Crypto

By Rollan Abdalov December 15, 2025

Forensic CPAs are essential for valuing businesses and analyzing tax returns. But when it comes to the blockchain, their toolkit—Excel and QuickBooks—is obsolete.

We see countless cases where a CPA reviews the bank statements and concludes: "He spent $50,000 on 'computer equipment' in 2023." They mark it as a sunk cost (depreciating asset). They are wrong.

The "Sunk Cost" Trap

A blockchain specialist knows that $50,000 wasn't for "computers"—it was for ASIC Miners. Those miners generated 4 Bitcoin (worth $400,000 today). The CPA missed the $400k asset because they didn't understand the output of the hardware purchase.

DeFi Swaps vs. Transfers

On a bank statement, a transfer to "Coinbase" looks like a transfer. But in the crypto world, that money can be instantly swapped into USDT (Stablecoin) and moved to a DeFi protocol (like Uniswap) where it generates 15% APY interest.

"A Generalist sees a 'Payment.' A Specialist sees a 'Yield-Bearing Asset.' We trace the funds precisely to the liquidity pool where they are hiding."

We bridge the gap between complex DeFi data and courtroom-ready evidence for Tarrant County and Fort Worth litigation support.

Standard accounting isn't enough for DeFi and mixers.

Consult with a Blockchain Expert

The Mixing Service Problem

If a spouse uses Tornado Cash or a "Mixer" to obfuscate funds, a traditional auditor hits a dead end. They write "Funds Untraceable" in their report.

We use heuristic analysis and "change output" clustering to probability-match the funds emerging from the mixer, allowing us to subpoena the destination exchange.

Conclusion

Don't rely on a Generalist for a Specialist's job. Partner with a firm that speaks the native language of the asset class.

Consult with a Blockchain Expert

Secure a Rule 702 compliant expert.