Quote from: buwaytress on September 25, 2018, 07:09:15 PM

Really, really nice catch. This blockchain analysis business is one I've been wondering about for almost as long as I first started using Bitcoin. They don't make the news much, yet seem to be quietly proliferating. Other than to assist with enforcement, almost every big business either has contracts with or are doing their own R&D (you know it's big when BitFury is investing in its own analysis tool).

The few open source projects available don't seem to be getting very much active commits on Github, so are the best developers going where the money is? One big contract from someone like the IRS or even Interpol and you're really set for a modestly comfortable life.

yup. that's exactly when it sunk in for me---when bitfury released their address clustering research. it was sad to see. i guess once operations get big enough, it should be no surprise when they start branching out into less savory activities. greed is a powerful thing.

stay safe out there, y'all. use VPN, manual coin selection, a reputable coin mixer, swap to XMR as needed, and avoid KYC.