On June 8th, the Department of Homeland Security published a statement intending to sole-source blockchain surveillance services from TRM Labs, giving competitors just three days to match TRM's offer.
Unfair, Chainalysis now seems to say, though the majority of the case – including the original complaint – are filed under protective order for trade secret safekeeping.
Not only is this the largest chain analytics contract issued by the US, but it seems that the agency issuing the contract doesn't do much beyond buy stuff?
Notably, the HSTF's Cyber Disruption Center (CDC) appears to have no dedicated website, nor are cyber disruption capabilities listed as a core responsibility on the HSTF's page. In effect, it appears that the CDC does not exist in the public view beyond procurement records at all.
Sadly most of the court documents are completely redacted, so we don't get to peak at how chainanalysis works.
Or it means they work off the books.
(#1549993 links the docket)
This is SOP for public procurement cases - I used to do this myself back when I was running an interim gig with a manufacturer (you really do not want to fuck this up.) If they do it right, they generously redact (shortly discussed that last year here) and in court you often get away with it. Unless you're the one suing, it isn't you, but your client that is on the hook for full compliance, but the courts are lenient because its just about what goes into the record. The judge can see everything.
FOIA responses are harder, because there the department/agency is on the hook directly. But even there, the goal is to redact as far as possible.