Coinbase—Coinbase sold blockchain surveillance analytics tool to ICE, DHS, Secret Service, and other agencies
Coinbase developed and sold its blockchain analytics tool (Coinbase Analytics, later renamed Coinbase Tracer) to multiple US government agencies. ICE signed a $1.37M contract in September 2021 gaining access to multi-hop analysis, Lightning network investigation, historical geo-tracking data, and transaction demixing across 12 blockchains. DHS contracted for $455K-$1.4M. The Secret Service signed two contracts worth up to $183,750 each. The tool was built on technology from Neutrino, a company Coinbase acquired in 2019. Coinbase claimed the tool only used publicly available blockchain data, not proprietary customer data.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surveillance Technology | +toward | primary | -1.00 |
| User Privacy | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.765 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.68)
Evidence (2 signals)
Coinbase signed $1.37M contract with ICE for blockchain surveillance tool providing geo-tracking and transaction analysis
Coinbase signed a contract with ICE worth up to $1.37M providing access to Coinbase Analytics (later Coinbase Tracer) across 12 blockchains including Bitcoin. ICE gained access to multi-hop analysis, Lightning network investigation, historical geo-tracking data, and transaction demixing capabilities.
DHS signed $455K-$1.4M contract with Coinbase for blockchain monitoring software
The Department of Homeland Security contracted with Coinbase to provide its blockchain monitoring software Coinbase Analytics. The initial contract was valued at $455,000 for one year, extendable to $1.4 million through 2024.