Blockchain giant Chainalysis acquires stealth AI agent security startup Alterya for over $100 million
Jan 13, 2025 - businessinsider.com
Chainalysis has acquired Alterya, a fraud detection startup founded in 2022, for approximately $150 million. Alterya, which uses AI agents to autonomously detect scams for financial and crypto firms, was acquired before even leaving stealth mode. The startup, based in Israel and founded by Elad Fouks and Shahaf Gonen, has raised $9.8 million in seed funding from investors like Battery Ventures and Y Combinator. Alterya's technology can identify malicious digital identities across various platforms and counts Coinbase, Square, and Binance among its clients.
The acquisition highlights a growing interest in AI agents, which are autonomous tools capable of performing tasks independently. Chainalysis, known for its crypto analysis and forensic services, aims to enhance its offerings with Alterya's technology. The deal reflects the broader trend of integrating AI agents into the workforce, a development anticipated by industry leaders like Sam Altman of OpenAI. Chainalysis, which has raised $538 million to date, last secured funding in 2022 at a valuation of $8.6 billion.
Key takeaways:
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Chainalysis has acquired Alterya, a fraud detection startup, for $150 million.
Alterya, founded in 2022, uses AI agents to detect scams for financial and crypto firms.
The acquisition highlights the growing interest in AI agents that work autonomously.
Alterya's clients include major companies like Coinbase, Square, and Binance.
