CASE STUDY

Nexo Modernized Global AML With 57% AI-Driven Alert Automation & Dynamic Customer Risk Rating

Case Management Screenshot
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Noise Reduction

93% Reduction in
False Positives
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Trusted Automation

57% AI Automation of Alert Reviews
UNIT21 PRODUCTS USED
Transaction
Monitoring
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Case
Management
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Customer Risk Rating
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AI Agent
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“Our compliance operations have transformed from manual to intelligent, as AI handles more than half of initial alert reviews— empowering our team to focus on the decisions that matter most.”
Bozhidar Dobrev
Financial Crime Compliance Manager, Nexo

Company Facts

INDUSTRY
Digital Assets Platform 
transaction volume &  credit issued
$371B
Assets
$11B
cryptocurrencies managed
100+
THE PROBLEM
Fragmented Systems That Complicate Risk Signals
Nexo, a global leader in digital asset services, was using a complex, in-house AML transaction monitoring and case management system. As the company expanded internationally, its compliance team encountered four intertwined challenges that slowed investigations, increased risk at the point of onboarding, and made day-to-day operations cumbersome.

First, the in-house transaction monitoring system generated an overwhelming number of false positives, creating a heavy manual workload for analysts and diverting attention from truly risky activity. Investigations took longer than necessary because too much time was spent triaging noise, which slowed the escalation of relevant cases.

Second, operations were fragmented across multiple tools, forcing analysts to switch contexts and stitch information together during reviews. As Bozhidar Dobrev, Financial Crime Compliance Manager from Nexo, put it, “We were using several platforms for different tasks and different case types; our goal was to get everything in Unit21.”

Third, customer risk ratings were calculated only after onboarding, which meant high-risk customers were flagged later in the process, again slowing down the tailoring of the enhanced due diligence. By implementing Unit21, Nexo eliminated this lag, allowing it to gate risk far earlier in the account-making process.

Finally, recalculating risk was slow and developer-dependent. Each change to the risk model or scoring logic required engineering tickets and wait time, reducing the team’s agility as regulations evolved and new geographies came online.

TLDR: Problems

  • High false positives: The in-house system generated excessive false alerts, consuming analyst time and slowing investigations.
  • Fragmented tools: Teams relied on multiple platforms for monitoring and case management, creating inefficiencies and data silos.
  • Delayed risk visibility: Risk ratings were calculated after onboarding, preventing potential earlier identification of high-risk customers.
  • Slow recalculations: Updating risk models required developer support, limiting agility.
WHY UNIT21
Rebuilding A Compliance Program With Agility, Transparency, and Continuous Innovation in Mind
To modernize its compliance framework and eliminate operational bottlenecks, Nexo partnered with Unit21 to consolidate its AML operations, bringing Transaction Monitoring, Case Management, and Customer Risk Rating (CRR) into a single, configurable platform.

The driving force behind Nexo’s choice was Unit21’s flexibility and no-code configurability, which allowed compliance teams to customize workflows, escalation paths, and risk models without developer dependency. “The flexibility and configurability really stood out,” said Dobrev. “We can tailor escalation workflows and CRR models in a few clicks without involving developers.”

With Unit21, Nexo gained the ability to deploy multiple risk models tailored to regional regulatory frameworks—an essential capability for a company operating across dozens of jurisdictions. This adaptability ensures that risk scoring logic reflects each market’s unique compliance standards while maintaining a unified global view of customer risk.

Another key benefit was the platform’s testing and validation environment, including backtesting and shadow mode. Nexo’s compliance team can now safely simulate new monitoring rules against historical data before production deployment, ensuring even more precise calibration and smoother operational rollouts.

Nexo also chose Unit21 for its deep crypto-native, digital asset-friendly expertise and seamless bidirectional interoperability with Chainanalysis. By connecting on-chain and off-chain risk signals within a single investigative workflow, Unit21 enabled Nexo to strengthen its AML posture and streamline investigations across digital asset environments. As Dobrev explained, “We needed an established vendor that doesn’t stop innovating, and Unit21 fits that profile perfectly.”

Together, these capabilities equipped Nexo with a future-ready compliance infrastructure—one designed for agility, transparency, and continuous innovation as the company scales across global markets.

TLDR: Why Unit21

  • Unified Platform: Combined AML monitoring, case management, and risk rating in one system.
  • No-Code Agility: Enabled teams to build and adjust workflows and models without engineering support.
  • Global Scalability: Supported multiple risk models tailored to regional regulations.
  • Proven Reliability: Allowed safe rule testing and optimization through backtesting and shadow mode.
  • Seamless Integration: Connected blockchain analytics and third-party data for complete visibility.
  • Crypto-Native Innovation: Partnered with an experienced, responsive team built for digital asset compliance.
“The Customer Risk Rating module we built with Unit21 changed everything—it lets us tailor risk scoring to each jurisdiction while keeping a unified global view. It’s how we scale compliance with confidence.”
Bozhidar Dobrev, Financial Crime Compliance Manager, Nexo
THE RESULTS
Redefining The Analyst Role By Drastically Reducing False Positives and Automating Alerts Reviewed 
Since adopting Unit21, Nexo has transformed its compliance operations from a fragmented, manual framework into a unified, intelligence-driven system capable of scaling with the company’s rapid global growth. The most immediate and measurable impact has been a dramatic reduction in false positives—over 93% fewer false positives compared to their previous in-house transaction monitoring system. This shift has freed analysts to focus on genuine risk, significantly improving efficiency and investigative depth across all AML workflows.

The team also reports a major improvement in investigative speed and decision-making. With Unit21’s enhanced Network Analysis tools and AI Agents assisting in alert investigations, Nexo’s analysts can now resolve complex crypto transactions faster and with greater clarity. What once required multiple systems and manual data gathering is now streamlined within a single interface, where related entities, addresses, and behaviors are automatically mapped for immediate context.

The introduction of AI Agents has redefined the role of the analyst entirely. By automating alert narratives and dispositions, Unit21’s AI Agents have enabled Nexo to achieve 57% automation in alert reviews, with projections to reach up to 80% as the models continue to evolve. Analysts now act in a supervisory capacity—verifying AI-generated outputs, investigating anomalies, and applying human judgment where it matters most. “The analyst role has changed from largely manual to more supervisory,” said Dobrev. “They can now focus on problem-solving rather than typing case narratives.”

In parallel, Nexo’s Customer Risk Rating (CRR) program has become far more dynamic and actionable. Previously, risk ratings were calculated only after onboarding, slowing the team down when it came to identifying high-risk clients early. Now, CRR recalculations are faster and more transparent, enabling compliance teams to tailor enhanced due diligence in real-time. With multiple CRR models aligned to different regulatory jurisdictions, Nexo can evaluate customer risk with precision across regions while maintaining a unified global view.

The partnership between Nexo and Unit21 has evolved into a model of collaborative innovation, transforming how Nexo approaches compliance and risk management. As Dobrev noted, “When we provide feedback, action is taken. Unit21 continues to innovate, and that gives us confidence as we expand into new markets.” More than a system upgrade, the collaboration represents a redefinition of modern compliance—where automation, configurability, and intelligence turn compliance into a strategic advantage that scales globally while remaining agile against evolving regulatory and financial crime risks.

TLDR: Results with Unit21

  • 93% reduction in false positives, allowing analysts to focus on true risk.
  • 57% of alert reviews are automated through AI Agents, with a target of 80%, freeing up Nexo’s compliance team to address cases of real risk over noise.
  • Faster investigations driven by enhanced Network Analysis and unified case management.
  • Multiple CRR models are deployed across jurisdictions for global regulatory alignment.
  • Accelerated CRR recalculations, providing real-time visibility into customer risk at onboarding.
  • Centralized workflows replacing fragmented tools for monitoring, screening, and case management.
“By moving to Unit21, we cut false positives by more than 90% — transforming transaction monitoring from a manual bottleneck into a high-precision, intelligence-driven process.”
Bozhidar Dobrev, Financial Crime Compliance Manager, Nexo
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