If you want to step into the world of on-chain investigations, having the right tools is essential. Recently, ZachXBT, a well-known figure in the blockchain security field, shared on his personal channel a list of on-chain tracking and investigation tools, highlighting the 12 most frequently used by practitioners. Covering a wide range of functions from asset monitoring to tracing fund flows and tax calculation, these tools seem useful for everyone—from individual investors to compliance teams and law enforcement agencies.

Among wallet tracking sites, the first that comes to mind is Cielo. Supporting multiple blockchains including EVM-compatible chains, Bitcoin, Solana, and Tron, it allows real-time monitoring of wallet activity. It’s especially useful for analyzing whale account movements or quickly identifying suspicious addresses.

TRM Labs is a platform specialized in responding to financial crimes. Covering over 70 million assets across 30 blockchains and providing data on NFTs and DeFi protocols, it is widely used by financial institutions and exchanges to track cryptocurrency-related crimes.

MetaSuites, created by BlockSec, is a Chrome extension that upgrades the browser itself into a blockchain analysis tool. It offers intuitive visualizations like capital flow diagrams and address labels, making it suitable for DeFi protocol research or vulnerability analysis.

For retail investors, MetaSleuth might be more accessible. It offers similar features to TRM Labs but focuses more on user experience, supporting 13 blockchains and targeting individual investors and small institutions. It excels at analyzing hacker attack paths and detecting abnormal transactions.

Arkham is an all-in-one platform that integrates multi-chain explorer, entity labeling, and real-time alerts. With access to data from over 50 blockchains, it is advantageous for in-depth exploration of capital flow paths or risk spot identification using AI.

For Bitcoin wallet tracking, basic tools like Etherscan and Solscan remain important. Etherscan is a blockchain explorer specialized for EVM chains, while Solscan focuses on the Solana ecosystem. They provide detailed information such as transaction history, smart contract code, and balances. Essential tools for developers and researchers.

Blockchair is a search engine specialized in Bitcoin blockchain data. It allows detailed searches of blocks, transactions, and addresses, and offers APIs, making it suitable for analyzing BTC mining pools or studying fund flows.

To track cross-chain asset movements, bridge monitoring tools like Range, Pulsy, and Socketscan are necessary. Range tracks USDC flows based on the CCTP protocol, Pulsy helps find optimal transfer routes, and Socketscan monitors bridge transactions between EVM chains. These are essential for managing assets in a multi-chain environment.

Dune is a platform synonymous with blockchain data analysis. It allows direct on-chain data querying via SQL and the creation of custom dashboards, making it ideal for DeFi KPI monitoring or NFT market analysis.

Finally, CryptoTaxCalculator significantly reduces the tax reporting burden for investors. It automatically calculates gains and losses and generates tax reports, aiding compliance.

By combining these 12 tools effectively, you can cover everything from Bitcoin wallet tracking sites to overall portfolio management and risk assessment. Whether you are an institutional security team or an individual researcher, choosing the right tools can greatly enhance your data analysis capabilities and security level.