Matt Green, Director and Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets, is a regular commentator on all things crypto and recently featured in BBC’s File on 4, one of the UK’s most respected investigative journalism programmes.
File on 4 has built a reputation for in-depth investigative reporting on some of the most pressing topics in society, from political scandals and corporate misconduct to human rights and financial crime. Produced by BBC Radio 4, the programme is known for shaping public understanding and policy on the UK’s most complex issues and has a weekly audience running into millions.
In this episode, which aired on the 30 September, File on 4 investigated the surge in phone thefts across London and the associated theft of funds from online accounts. In 2024 alone, there were up to 80,000 devices stolen in London’s streets and transport network. The loss to users goes far beyond having to replace stolen devices, as gangs are now exploiting unlocked phones to access victims’ online banking and cryptocurrency accounts.
Matt offered his expert insight into why crypto assets are particularly attractive to criminals, and how victims’ funds are emptied and transferred into criminal accounts: “The problem is that there are no regulatory provisions that ensure you can get your money back. You have to spend, as a consumer, a good deal of money paying for investigators and lawyers to seek to recover your funds. That is expensive, it doesn’t always work because funds can be sent to various jurisdictions which don’t always comply with court orders, and it makes the process a lot more difficult. I would like it so that there is some sort of duty or obligation for crypto currency exchanges to play a role in helping consumers and protect them further.”
Known for his work tracing and recovering crypto assets across borders, Matt regularly advises on high-value disputes involving blockchain technology and has helped shape UK legal precedent on digital property. As part of his role as chair of techUK’s Digital Asset Working Group, he is closely involved in the drive to improve regulation to help consumers recover stolen digital assets.
You can listen to the full podcast here, Matt enters the conversation at 29m16s.
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