Smart Contract / DeFi Protocol Tracing

Core idea

Decodes smart-contract interactions (function calls, event logs) on platforms like Ethereum to trace funds through swaps, lending, and liquidity pools where simple wallet-to-wallet tracing breaks down.

When to use

Traced funds enter a DeFi protocol (DEX, lending platform, yield aggregator) and simple output-tracing no longer applies.

Avoid when

Novel protocols may lack legal precedent for seizure and have no central custodian to serve; seizure may require obtaining private keys directly.

Example

Funds swapped through a DEX router are followed by decoding the swap event logs to recover the output token and recipient address.

Related

Cross-Chain / Bridge & Swap Analysis, Transaction Graph Analysis (TGA)