The US Air Force has agreed to a third deal with blockchain analytics platform Chainalysis to continue the use of its services for unspecified reasons.
According to a report by Decrypt, the US Air Force is paying $779,740 in its latest contract with Chainalysis, dated May 19, 2020. The contract follows on the heels of two previous deals brokered with the blockchain analytics company, now totaling $900K in defense spending.
While the report fails to specify the reasoning for the contract, a description tab references “crypto currency data subscription,” implying that the US Air Force is paying for Chainalysis’s blockchain analytics tools. Neither entity would respond to inquiries about the contract or the nature of the agreement.
However, Chainalysis has a history of working government agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Securities & Exchange Commission, through its blockchain analytics tools.
A recent blog post by the data firm details how they were able to aid agents in taking down crypto-based terrorist financing campaigns.
Casey Bohn, high-tech crime specialist with NW3C, told Decrypt the partnership likely involved the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations (OSI).
He said,
Let’s say the Air Force lets a contract to Boeing, and there’s some accusation or supposition some way or another of some sort of fraud, waste or abuse, OSI would probably look into that on behalf of the Air Force.
Bohn continued, claiming the rise in crypto-based theft has forced government agencies to take notice of the industry.
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