Dark web blockchain analysis tool suspended after flurry of media coverage

Antinalysis, a service designed to help dark web users identify compromised bitcoin addresses, has been suspended after drawing scrutiny from state agencies.

The tool has drawn a flurry of media interest over the past few days after blockchain analysis firm Elliptic highlighted its existence in a blog post on August 13. This morning, Elliptic’s co-founder Tom Robinson tweeted screenshots showing that the site has been suspended. 

“So after the large amount of media exposure, I’m sad to say, Antinalysis has attracted [the] attention of state agencies,” wrote the tool’s creator on a dark web forum.

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The statement further explained that Antinalysis’s data source – which it used to test whether bitcoin addresses may be linked to criminal activity – has been cut off by its provider.

On August 13, Robinson wrote in a tweet that the results produced by Antinalysis are “identical to those provided by AMLBot – which is itself a reseller for Crystal Blockchain, an analytics provider.”

Antinalysis’ creator, writing under the pseudonym Pharoah [sic], stated in the dark web forum post that the service has been “temporarily suspended” while they attempt to resolve the data issue. The site, which runs on the anonymous web service Tor, currently displays a “service suspended” notice.

In a statement sent to BBC reporter Joe Tidy, Pharoah wrote: “Our team believes, that in the current democratic world, every one last human being has the right to do whatever they want and possess complete overview of their privacy while not violating individual rights of others. We consider ourselves activists that dislike state agencies conducting mass surveillance under the name of national security and criminal investigations.”

About Author

Ryan Weeks is deals editor at the The Block, focused on fundraising, M&A and institutional trends in the crypto space, among other things. He is particularly interested in investigative work — so please send tips! Ryan previously worked at Financial News, Dow Jones as a fintech correspondent in London. Prior to that, he wrote for several different publications, including Sifted, AltFi and Wired. Beyond journalism, Ryan is a keen reader and writer. He enjoys all things active, especially running, rugby, climbing and tennis.