Chainalysis, a major company that offers cryptocurrency investigation and compliance solutions to global law enforcement agencies, regulators, and businesses, has acquired Israeli blockchain startup Hexagate. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Calcalist reported that it was for $60 million.
Founded in 2023, Chainalysis offers cryptocurrency investigation and compliance solutions to global law enforcement agencies, regulators, and businesses as they work together to fight illicit cryptocurrency activity. Backed by Benchmark and other leading names in venture capital, Chainalysis builds trust in blockchains.
The company provides software solutions to help businesses comply with regulatory requirements and investigate illicit activities on the blockchain. Chainalysis offers tools to help businesses assess and manage risks associated with cryptocurrency transactions. The company publishes research reports and insights on the cryptocurrency market and emerging threats.
Founded in 2022 by CEO Yaniv Nissenboim and CTO Niv Yehezkel, Hexagate is a leading blockchain security startup that provides real-time threat detection and prevention solutions for the Web3 ecosystem. Hexagate’s platform continuously monitors blockchain networks for malicious activities, such as exploits, hacks, and governance risks. Hexagate is at the forefront of blockchain threat prevention and automated risk management, leveraging advanced machine learning and a proprietary invariant monitoring engine to proactively detect and mitigate threats to smart contracts and onchain assets.
Yaniv Nissenboim began his career in the Israel Defense Forces’ Cyber Unit before transitioning to become a cyber consultant for various security agencies. Moving into the private sector, he founded Scientra, a startup in algorithmic trading, and later co-founded Jumper Labs, which created virtual testing systems for IoT products. Nissenboim then joined Vdoo, a cybersecurity company that was later acquired by JFrog.
Niv Yehezkel, a former member of the Israel Defense Forces’ vaunted cyber-security Unit 8200, started exploring cybersecurity at the age of 14. Following his military service, he joined Medigate as one of its earliest employees, and the company was eventually acquired by Claroty.
“I have long believed that in order to advance the Chainalysis mission to build trust in blockchains, we would need to expand our business beyond investigations and into prevention,” said Jonathan Levin Co-founder and CEO at Chainalysis. “For the past several years, we’ve seen billions of dollars’ worth of crypto stolen each year – often by actors linked to rogue nations and other national security threats. Thefts of this magnitude can leave victims with no choice but to shut down their crypto projects, investors wary of investing in blockchain initiatives, and bad actors with billions of dollars in their control.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Hexagate to the team, and to work together toward a safer, more transparent financial system,” he added.
