Steven S. McNew

Steve McNew provides strategic advice and expert services for companies in the blockchain and digital assets sector and corporations looking to innovate with these technologies. Mr. McNew is one of the firm’s foremost testifying experts, having offered testimony in the United States, Australia and Asia. Additionally, he has led all cryptocurrency workstreams on the largest bankruptcies in the sector for FTI Technology.

Mr. McNew leads the global Blockchain & Digital Assets team across matters spanning investigations, cybersecurity, bankruptcy and restructuring, strategy and innovation and mergers and acquisitions due diligence. He has developed large-scale blockchain technology implementations using smart contracts development, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (“IoT”) devices, and has provided forensic investigations expertise for disputes involving various forms of cryptocurrencies. Mr. McNew leverages his technical and operational expertise in blockchain to help clients in financial services, fintech and other industries navigate risks and opportunities in tokenization projects, optimizing every phase of the tokenization lifecycle to achieve objectives and strengthen competitive advantage.

In addition to his work with crypto assets and blockchain, Mr. McNew brings two decades of experience in digital forensics and cyber readiness. He consistently leads large-scale engagements for clients in data governance, privacy and cybersecurity. This includes conducting tabletop exercises, cyber readiness consulting and testing, post-breach ransomware negotiations and post-breach identification of sensitive data within compromised data. He has led projects involving the technological assessment of cryptocurrency exchanges, validating assets under control of potential acquisition targets, blockchain assessments, pilot projects and blockchain strategy and implementation, as well as investigations into disputes involving cybercrime, financial crime and fraud.

Relevant Experience:

• Led technical due diligence and cryptocurrency assessment for Galaxy Digital ahead of its $1.2 billion acquisition of BitGo, providing verification of assets under custody and critical insights to support the client in ensuring accurate valuation of the target and mitigating risks ahead of the transaction
• Completed a full technical assessment and financial due diligence of an institutional digital asset custody, trading and finance company in anticipation of acquisition by a client
• Architected and deployed a data governance and data privacy program for 3,500 applications and 7,000 structured databases to align to new requirements for the Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification and to the latest privacy regulations for a global telecommunications company
• Retained by a leading cryptocurrency fintech focused on trade and finance in relation to a class action lawsuit over related party transactions, as well as a scathing report from a short seller market report
• Provided expert investigative services for alleged theft and/or improper use of Bitcoin and Ether payments by performing asset tracing and forensic analysis; prepared various written forensic reports detailing the investigative findings