A first tracing usually takes from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how many addresses, blockchains and transfers are involved. You get a written report showing where the funds went, which intermediaries received them and how certain each link is, together with freeze and information requests ready to send or already sent. What happens next depends on issuers, exchanges and authorities, and can take months.
What affects the time
- Number of transactions and addresses, and how far the funds were split.
- Number of blockchains and bridges involved.
- Use of mixers or privacy tools, which require probabilistic analysis.
- How quickly you provide the starting data: transactions, addresses, timeline.
What the report contains
The report is written to be used by lawyers, prosecutors and compliance teams at exchanges, not only by technicians.
- A short summary of the facts and the main findings.
- A flow diagram from the victim's wallet to the final destinations.
- The list of addresses and transactions, with amounts and times.
- The exchanges, issuers and services identified, with the amounts each received.
- The confidence level of each link, the method and the data sources.
An anonymised example
In a recent case, about one million USDT was transferred from a company's wallet without authorisation and split across more than a hundred addresses within hours. The report was delivered in three days, freeze requests went to nine intermediaries, and a first freeze at an exchange was already in place by the date of the report. This shows what speed can achieve; it is not a promise for other cases.
What happens after the report
Issuers and exchanges respond on their own timelines, and a freeze must then be confirmed by a seizure or freezing order from the competent authority, which may be in another country. Criminal proceedings and any restitution can take months or longer. The report remains useful throughout: as an annex to the complaint, as evidence, and as a basis for updates if the funds move again.
How Advisorn helps
Advisorn Forensics delivers the tracing report, sends the freeze and information requests, reports addresses to industry blocklists, and supports your lawyer through the complaint.
Updated November 2026 · General information, not legal or tax advice on your specific case.