Start with a free consultation
Describe the situation — we'll respond within 12 hours.
Crypto assets
The exchange has collapsed or your funds have been stolen. We follow the trail and fight to recover them by lawful means
An exchange insolvency, theft through phishing or a fake ICO, a crypto lender that has locked you out, an exploited DeFi protocol — these are different cases. Each has its own legal mechanism: lodging the claim in the insolvency proceedings, a freezing order, action in the criminal proceedings, a civil claim for damages. Stolen funds do not simply “vanish into the blockchain” — they leave a trail. We document that trail and pursue the matter along whichever route is legally available and offers the best prospects in your particular case.
Exchange insolvencyAsset freezingDeFi exploitsCrypto lendersCriminal proceedings
Milan Bar AssociationSpecialist lawyer in banking and financial markets lawPractice before CONSOB, the FCA, and CySECNetwork of correspondent lawyers in Germany, the UK, and CyprusBanking and financial markets law committeeItalian National Bar CouncilAdvisor to consumer associations in MilanThird-party litigation fundingProfessional liability insurance: cover up to €10 million
Areas of work
Where exactly we help
Crypto cases are rarely alike — the route to recovery depends on whether the funds disappeared through an insolvency, a theft, an exploited protocol, or a deliberate block on withdrawals. Here are the most common scenarios.
Crypto exchange insolvency
Lodging your claim in the insolvency proceedings, within the peremptory deadlines by which it must be filed. We examine whether client assets were segregated from the company's own estate — this is precisely what determines your standing and your rank in any distribution.
Asset freezing through the courts
When the trail leads to a specific account at a centralised exchange, we deploy worldwide freezing orders and Bankers Trust disclosure orders (compelling disclosure of the account holder's identity) through proceedings in England, and in Italy a protective seizure of the debtor's assets (sequestro conservativo, art. 671 c.p.c.), which requires both a probable case for the claim and a well-founded fear of losing the security for it.
Wallet theft through phishing
A phishing link or a fake app has exposed your private key — we trace the transfer to the exchange the attacker used to cash out, submit a freezing request, and secure the evidence for criminal proceedings.
Claims against crypto lenders
The platform has frozen withdrawals and is pressing you to sell your tokens at a discount instead of returning the assets — we pursue the claim through to settlement or judgment, including alongside other affected clients.
DeFi exploits and fund distribution
We document your share in the pool of an exploited protocol and handle your application for a proportionate payout from funds recovered through negotiations with the DAO or through a court claim.
Crypto Ponzi schemes: the criminal route
We join the proceedings against the operators of the scheme on your behalf as a civil claimant (parte civile): every offence gives rise to a duty of restitution and to compensation for the damage caused (art. 185 c.p.). Once the trial is under way we apply for a protective seizure of the defendant's assets (art. 316 c.p.p.), and on our application the court may award an immediately enforceable interim payment for the part of the loss already proven (artt. 539 and 540 c.p.p.).
How we work
How a typical case unfolds
Whether the matter concerns lodging a claim in insolvency proceedings or obtaining a protective court order over assets, we follow the same step-by-step approach.
Securing the trail in the first days
We trace the blockchain trail, preserve the evidence — transactions, addresses, correspondence — and immediately prepare freezing requests while the funds can still be located.
Choosing the legal route
We decide on the basis of the trail and the custody structure: lodging the claim in the insolvency proceedings, cross-border freezing, a civil claim for damages before the Italian courts, or criminal proceedings — and in which jurisdiction.
A written assessment of your prospects
We set out the likelihood of recovery, a realistic time horizon (in insolvency proceedings, years) and the costs. In writing, before the substantive work begins. A lawyer owes an obligation of means: the outcome cannot be guaranteed.
Seeing you through to the actual distribution
We lodge claims within the peremptory deadlines and carry the proceedings or application through to a final decision and the funds actually arriving — not to "documents handed over".
From practice
What a recovery figure really means
In insolvency proceedings, creditors are sometimes quoted a recovery percentage that at first glance reads like "almost full repayment". We establish exactly what that figure is measured against and the date on which it was fixed — and only then do we tell the client how much will in fact come back to them.
In re FTX Trading Ltd. · U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of DelawareThe collapse came in November 2022, yet payouts only began in 2025. The plan provides for roughly 119% of allowed claims for smaller creditors — but the claims are fixed in dollars as at the petition date, so in crypto terms this is significantly less than the current value of the assets. Why a "recovery percentage" is not the same as real recovery — we explain to clients from the outset.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about crypto assets
Yes — a patchwork of jurisdictions is the norm in crypto cases, not a dead end. Depending on where the money trail leads, different routes come into play: lodging the claim in foreign insolvency proceedings, English freezing tools, a civil claim for damages before the Italian courts (art. 2043 c.c.), or the criminal route — by denuncia or by querela, depending on the offence in issue — followed by joining the proceedings as a civil claimant (parte civile).
Do not sign a single further transaction — the "withdrawal of the remaining balance" via a tool sent to you is often a second malicious transaction. Record the transaction hashes and wallet addresses, do not pay "recovery agents" who approach you first, and get in touch with us immediately. Time counts on the criminal side too: where the offence is prosecuted only on the victim's complaint, the querela must be filed within three months of the day you learned of the facts constituting it (art. 124 c.p.).
Nothing. The first 30 minutes are free and are used to realistically assess your situation and your chances.
Usually within 12 hours on business days — faster in urgent cases.
Yes, by phone or video call — an in-person meeting at our Milan office is also possible.
The fee is agreed in writing before any work begins: fees are freely negotiated under Italian law (art. 13(2)-(3), Law 247/2012) and the written estimate itemises charges, expenses and fee separately. On top of the base fee, a palmario may be agreed: an additional amount equal to 10% of the value of the matter, fixed when the engagement is signed and payable only if the outcome is favourable. The amount is therefore known from the outset and does not vary with how much is actually recovered — agreeing a percentage of the value of the matter is expressly permitted (art. 13(3)), whereas agreeing a fee consisting of a share of what is recovered is prohibited (art. 13(4)). State-funded legal aid is also available. Full details are on our fees page.
Yes. Our practice covers clients across Europe: we correspond with CONSOB, Banca d'Italia and IVASS — each within its own remit — as well as with foreign regulators such as CySEC, the FCA and BaFin, whatever country the client lives in, and we bring claims before the Italian courts against foreign brokers where EU consumer-protection law allows it. Where proceedings require representation before the courts of another country, we coordinate with vetted local lawyers.
Fill in the form below or call us — describe your situation briefly, in bullet points, and we'll get back to you within 12 hours.
Next Step