Charting a New Course Against FinCrime: BIS Innovation Hub and Lucinity Successfully Conclude Project Aurora

I am thrilled to share a significant milestone in our mission to 'Make Money Good'. In December last year, Lucinity joined forces with the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub Nordic Centre in an ambitious project called Project Aurora to transform the detection and prevention of illicit financial activities. This collaboration represents a shared vision to foster trust and safety within the financial ecosystem and revolutionize the fight against financial crimes. After a long journey and a lot of hard work, we’re excited to share Project Aurora with the world.

The Story of Project Aurora

Navigating the challenging, often complex landscape of battling financial crime, the BIS Innovation Hub Nordic Centre identified the complexities and costs of money laundering for financial institutions, particularly within the context of cross-border transactions. Project Aurora was conceived to address these challenges, utilizing cutting-edge technology, intricate network analysis, and robust data resources to offer a solution that detects and deters illicit cross-border financial activities.

Lucinity enthusiastically participated in Project Aurora as it aligns with our mission to 'Make Money Good' and demonstrates the strength of our technology and exceptional Data Science team. The project presented Lucinity with an opportunity to fully apply our expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and technologies that enhance data privacy and infuse fresh perspectives into anti-money laundering (AML). Lucinity recognized the transformative potential of Project Aurora in reshaping financial crime detection and prevention, and the collaboration was a chance for us to contribute to a groundbreaking initiative, uniting advanced technologies, robust data analysis, and international cooperation.

The Results Speak for Themselves

Our results from Project Aurora, published today by the BIS Innovation Hub Nordic Centre, demonstrate the profound impact that data, technology, and collaboration can have in countering illicit financial activities across borders and institutions.

The project commenced with the construction of a synthetic cross-border transactional dataset built through our deep understanding of transactional data patterns and known money laundering schemes and techniques. This was followed by the application of cutting-edge privacy-enhancing technologies and AI to detect cross-border money laundering more effectively than traditional methods while maintaining absolute data privacy.

Project Aurora successfully pinpointed patterns related to cross-border money laundering, emphasizing the superiority of AI models over conventional rule-based systems. This success comes from the synergistic collaboration between the BIS Innovation Hub Nordic Centre and Lucinity's Data Science team. Project Aurora's triumph lies in the convergence of privacy-enhancing technologies, graph-based models, comprehensive transaction monitoring systems, and collaborative efforts, which collectively strengthen AML detection and set new industry standards.

In summary, Project Aurora has validated the phrase "it takes a network to defeat a network." By harnessing data-driven methodologies, financial institutions can amplify their detection capabilities and strengthen their stance against money laundering and financial crimes. The results speak for themselves, establishing a new precedent for the industry. For more detailed insights, please refer to our full report here.

We've only just scratched the surface here, and we'll be happy to share more insights in future posts.

Innovating Towards a Safer Financial Future

Project Aurora is not only a milestone in Lucinity's journey to 'Make Money Good.' It is a beacon of innovation, illustrating the incredible potential of technology and collaboration in combating financial crime. We are inspired to create a future where trust in financial systems is fortified tenfold by effectively detecting and preventing financial crime.

As Albert Einstein famously said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Guided by this wisdom, Project Aurora represents a paradigm shift, transcending borders to break new ground in the global fight against financial crime.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the BIS Innovation Hub Nordic Centre for the successful partnership on Project Aurora. This collaboration marks a significant advance in our mission, and it will set new industry standards in the fight against money laundering. The commendable synergy between our team and BIS Innovation Hub Nordic Centre has sparked remarkable innovations, highlighting the power of collective effort in combating financial crimes.

While we at Lucinity acknowledge the critical role of technology, we also realize that it is just a piece of the puzzle. Our partnership with BIS exemplifies our commitment to innovating and fostering strong collaborative networks to push the industry boundaries. Together, we are building a future where financial crime is effectively countered.

United, we can reshape the battle against financial crime and promote a safer, more inclusive financial ecosystem. In this endeavor, we are more than observers—we are the catalysts for change. Together, let's strive to 'Make Money Good.'

Until next time,
Gudmundur Kristjansson (GK)
Founder and CEO, Lucinity