Detecting and characterizing malicious operations and tracking mechanisms in blockchain and email ecosystems

Abstract

The rapid adoption of blockchain technology and digital communication platforms has revolutionized financial systems and information exchange. While these innovations promote decentralized trading and global connectivity, they also create fertile ground for malicious activities, including financial fraud and privacy violations. This thesis analyzes these emerging threats and evaluates mitigation strategies, focusing on market manipulation in Decentralized Finance, such as rug pulls and Pump-and-Dump schemes, and the challenges of detecting invasive tracking pixels in email ecosystems.