UPDATED 23:16 EDT / APRIL 05 2018

EMERGING TECH

Blockchain analysis startup Chainalysis raises $16M

Blockchain analysis startup Chainalysis Inc. today said it has raised $16 million in new funding in a Series A round led by Benchmark Capital.

Founded in 2014, Chainalysis offers a blockchain intelligence platform that aims to help customers prevent, detect and investigate cryptocurrency money laundering, fraud and compliance violations. Using the company’s platform, customers can visualize and investigate the source and destination of suspicious transactions across blockchain-based cryptocurrencies, detect suspicious activity and emerging threats from the dark web and even investigate the illegal sale of customer data and ransomware cases in-house.

Although it’s not a household name, Chainalysis is nonetheless highly regarded in the cryptocurrency community. It led the investigation into the allegedly stolen bitcoin from now-bankrupt Japanese exchange Mt. Gox. Chainalysis’ investigation led to the arrest of Alexander Vinnik, a Russian man who is believed to be linked to laundering the stolen bitcoin from Mt. Gox last July.

While working with corporate clients, the company also works with nonprofits such as the Global Emancipation Network who are seeking to bring down human trafficking networks.

In an interview with Bloomberg, co-founder Jonathan Levin said that Chainalysis has just launched support for tracking fraud, criminal activity and money laundering in Bitcoin Cash. It previously offered support for tracking across Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple and Ethereum Classic, among others.

The new support for tracking Bitcoin Cash is interesting given that the cryptocurrency, a fork of bitcoin itself, is consider by some to be a massive pump-and-dump scheme with another funded startup, Coinbase Inc., embroiled in allegations of insider trading of Bitcoin Cash in December.

Including the new round, Chainalysis has raised $17.6 million to date. Other investors in the company include TechStars, FundersClub, CVP Management, Point Nine Capital and Digital Currency Group.

Image: Pixabay

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