It was funded with €1.38 million through the Horizon Europe / MSCA Staff Exchange programme supporting interdisciplinary research and international collaboration
The Center for Cultural Heritage Technology (CCHT) of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) is one of the twelve partners in the European project FORCE – Fostering Optimal Regulatory Compliance for Cryptocurrencies: An Interdisciplinary Approach, which aims to strengthen the security and integrity of digital finance ecosystems. The research group led by Arianna Traviglia will bring expertise on the functioning of the art market and the dynamics of illicit trafficking in cultural property.
The four-year project is coordinated by Aston University (United Kingdom) and funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchange scheme.
FORCE seeks to make a significant contribution to the global fight against financial crime by creating a network for knowledge exchange among universities, research institutes and innovative SMEs from the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Luxembourg, Ireland, Poland, Ukraine, Cyprus and Germany.
The rapid growth of cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance (DeFi) brings both new opportunities and new risks. Complex international transactions, the use of pseudonymous identities and the fast pace of technological change make the work of regulators, law-enforcement authorities and financial institutions increasingly difficult. For this reason, traditional anti-money laundering (AML) systems, designed for the conventional banking system, are becoming progressively less adequate.
The Italian Institute of Technology will play a significant role in this international collaboration, contributing specialized expertise on the mechanisms of the art market and the dynamics of illicit trafficking in cultural property, which increasingly relies on virtual and cryptocurrency transactions. At IIT’s CCHT in Venice–Treviso, a research unit dedicated to Art Crime is already active and previously coordinated the European project RITHMS (Research, Intelligence and Technology for Heritage and Market Security).
“FORCE offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the future of secure digital finance. Our participation allows us not only to advance research in frontier areas such as blockchain analysis, but also to ensure that these advances translate into practical tools for society. By working closely with partners across Europe, we can help keep the art market both open and secure, while strengthening its resilience against criminal use of transactions,” commented Arianna Traviglia, coordinator of the IIT Centre for Cultural Heritage Technology.
The project will develop next-generation Anti-Money Laundering (AML) tools and integrated systems specifically designed for cryptocurrency ecosystems, leveraging the interdisciplinary expertise of the partners, spanning artificial intelligence, quantum-safe cryptography, digital currencies and regulatory innovation. The aim is to create technologically advanced, ethically grounded mechanisms that can be applied internationally and remain resilient to future threats.
FORCE will provide regulators, financial institutions, law-enforcement agencies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with practical, real-time tools to detect and counter illicit activities. SMEs in particular will benefit from improved guidelines and accessible compliance resources that support innovation without imposing unnecessary operational burdens.
Over the coming years, the FORCE consortium will carry out research, collaboration, training and knowledge-exchange activities aimed at strengthening AML capabilities across different jurisdictions. This includes analyzing the implications of emerging technologies such as quantum-safe cryptography, studying the regulatory landscape of digital currencies—such as the potential digital euro—and developing accessible resources for businesses and policymakers.
The project also places strong emphasis on human capital development. Through workshops, training programmes and staff exchanges, FORCE will help train a new generation of specialists capable of operating at the intersection of technology, finance and regulation, a skill set that is becoming increasingly crucial in the global digital economy.
For more information about the project, visit: http://force-msca.eu/
