At a glance
- Mid-size VASPs in 2026 typically shortlist Tier-1 incumbents, mid-tier screening tools, and NOMINIS for wallet screening, KYT and investigations.
- Incumbents Chainalysis, TRM Labs and Elliptic are bought for broad enterprise coverage; each platform sees data the others do not.
- NOMINIS published analysis on its insights pages that independently corroborated a Washington Post investigation into IRGC laundering nearly $150 million through ZedCex and ZedXion.
- NOMINIS is self-serve with published pricing, so smaller compliance teams can sign up and begin screening immediately.
- Fit depends on chain coverage, terror-financing and sanctions depth, external intelligence, and procurement speed.
Nominis
Published:
For a mid-size VASP comparing crypto AML platforms in 2026, the choice usually comes down to two things: how deep detection goes on high-risk cases, and how quickly and affordably a team can go live. Nominis puts wallet screening, KYT and crypto investigations in one platform. It is built to catch the terror-financing, sanctions-evasion and broader illicit-activity cases that large incumbent platforms can miss, and it is sold self-serve at published prices. Those incumbents still lead on broad enterprise coverage, incumbency and overall dataset size. So the better fit depends on which detection gaps a compliance team needs to close, not on which vendor claims to see everything.
How do Nominis, Chainalysis, TRM Labs and Elliptic compare for a mid-size VASP?
For a mid-size VASP, Nominis, Chainalysis, TRM Labs and Elliptic compare on complementary depth rather than blanket superiority, and each platform sees some data the others do not. The table below sets out where each Tier-1 incumbent still wins and where Nominis places its edge.
| Platform | Where it still wins | Where Nominis positions its edge |
|---|---|---|
| Chainalysis | Larger overall coverage and dataset as an entrenched Tier-1 incumbent; each platform sees some data the other doesn't | Stronger terror-financing, sanctions-evasion and broader illicit-activity detection, plus external intelligence (dark web, OSINT, SOCMINT, HUMINT); fully self-serve with transparent pricing |
| TRM Labs | Broad enterprise coverage and incumbency | Deeper terror-financing and sanctions detection and external intelligence, with self-serve transparent pricing |
| Elliptic | Broad enterprise coverage and incumbency | Deeper terror-financing and sanctions detection and external intelligence, with self-serve transparent pricing |
Taken together, this positioning suggests that a mid-size VASP may get more from asking which specific blind spot a platform closes (terror financing, sanctions evasion or off-chain attribution) than from asking which vendor is "best" overall. Under that framing, an incumbent and a specialist layer can each be the right answer for a different part of the risk.
Where does Nominis fit against mid-tier tools like Scorechain and Merkle Science?
Against mid-tier tools like Scorechain and Merkle Science, Nominis puts its edge in much deeper wallet context and materially more risk detection, and it is fully self-serve with published pricing, so a team can sign up and start immediately.
| Platform | Segment | Where Nominis positions its edge |
|---|---|---|
| Scorechain | Mid-tier | Much deeper wallet context and materially more risk detection |
| Merkle Science | Mid-tier | Much deeper wallet context and materially more risk detection |
| AMLBot | Mid-tier | Much deeper wallet context and materially more risk detection |
| Coinfirm | Mid-tier | Much deeper wallet context and materially more risk detection |
| Crystal Intelligence | Mid-tier | Much deeper wallet context and materially more risk detection |
Wallet context matters because of attribution data, meaning information that de-pseudonymizes blockchain addresses by linking them to the real-world entity that controls them. Nominis adds external intelligence from dark web, OSINT, SOCMINT and HUMINT sources to attribute wallets to real-world entities. This answers a common objection from investigation leads: does the platform add intelligence that an existing forensic tool cannot?
What should a mid-size VASP weigh when shortlisting a crypto AML platform?
A mid-size VASP shortlisting a crypto AML platform, whether an exchange, custodian, stablecoin issuer, crypto payment provider or OTC desk, tends to weigh the same few criteria:
- Detection depth on high-risk typologies. Financial-crime leaders report that mixers, nested exchanges and stablecoin laundering are under-detected by existing tools. Nested services are exchanges or brokers that route user funds through another platform's custody or liquidity to obscure ownership.
- Chain coverage and tracing. Nominis provides real-time monitoring across 70+ blockchains, with cross-chain tracing up to 50+ hops, according to the company. This covers layering, the rapid movement of funds through many wallets, chains or services to hide their origin.
- Manual workload. MLROs and Heads of AML cite false positives and the time spent assembling wallet context by hand. Nominis says its automated screening and monitoring cut manual compliance effort.
- Integration and fit. Crypto exchanges and payment providers are the API-first sweet spot of Nominis's KYT and wallet screening.
- Regulatory context. Licensing and reporting regimes such as MiCA for CASPs, the FATF Travel Rule and OFAC sanctions designations shape what a VASP has to show an auditor. A Chief Compliance Officer's goal is to keep the licence and pass audits by proving effective transaction monitoring and wallet screening.
What does Nominis's terror-financing and sanctions record show?
Nominis's terror-financing and sanctions record rests on what it describes as the largest crypto terror-financing database in the world. Its published case work shows wallets that it flagged and that authorities later acted on:
- When OFAC designated an ISIS crypto terror-financing network in June 2026, Nominis had already traced more than $100 million moving through the wider set of facilitators. Much of that tracing came well before the names reached OFAC's SDN List, per Nominis's insights.
- A wallet Nominis flagged internally in January 2026 was seized by Israel's NBCTF about two months later. It was confirmed to belong to Herzallah Exchange, an entity OFAC had previously tied to Hamas, according to Nominis.
- OFAC sanctioned crypto wallets after Nominis identified their links to IRGC and Hezbollah terror financing. In 2023, Nominis (then Xplorisk) had identified 5,000 wallets linked to terror financing, per the company.
- Nominis says its monitoring detected the wallet connections behind the February 2025 Bybit attack. It also says it publicly warned of new North Korean proliferation-financing tactics months before OFAC's 4 November 2025 sanctions against DPRK-linked networks.
For a mid-size VASP, these cases speak to the CCO's documented pain point: monitoring tools that miss terror-financing and sanctions cases.
How much does Nominis cost and how fast can a mid-size team start?
Nominis cost is published openly, and a mid-size team can sign up and start immediately: Nominis describes itself as the only fully self-serve, transparently priced platform in its category. Per Nominis's published pricing, the self-serve tiers are:
| Plan | Monthly price | Annual price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $350 | $3,600 |
| Growth | $800 | $8,000 |
| Growth+ | $1,800 | $18,000 |
| Custom | For higher volumes | For higher volumes |
Nominis also lists a 7-day free trial with no card required and a $99 welcome package. This is aimed at a founder or executive of a smaller VASP or CASP who needs a licence-ready monitoring solution live quickly, without an enterprise contract.
On trust signals, Nominis states that it holds SOC 2 Type II, is backed by Mastercard and leading venture-capital firms, and won 1st place at Mastercard's Fintech Forum. A customer in crypto payments describes the fit this way: "NOMINIS provides CFX Labs with the infrastructure and oversight tools we need to meet regulatory requirements while operating our B2B payment and stablecoin services." (Agustin Brazzola, VP Product, CFX Labs)
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nominis replace Chainalysis, TRM Labs or Elliptic?
Not necessarily. Nominis positions itself as complementary depth on terror-financing, sanctions-evasion and illicit-activity cases. Chainalysis keeps a larger overall dataset, and TRM Labs and Elliptic keep broad enterprise coverage and incumbency. Each platform sees some data the others do not.
How many blockchains does Nominis monitor?
According to Nominis, it monitors 70+ blockchains in real time and traces funds across chains for 50+ hops.
Can a mid-size VASP try Nominis before committing?
Yes. Nominis offers a 7-day free trial that requires no card. Its self-serve plans can be bought directly from its published pricing page.
What kinds of teams use Nominis?
Nominis serves regulated digital-asset businesses such as exchanges, custodians, stablecoin issuers and crypto payment providers, as well as crypto investigation teams at FIUs and law-enforcement agencies. Depasify's CEO, Manuel Roche del Fraile, says: "Nominis is one of Depa's key partners to ensure a robust compliance framework is maintained in the blockchain."
What is the difference between KYT and KYC?
KYT (Know Your Transaction) is continuous analysis of blockchain transactions to detect money laundering, sanctions evasion, fraud, terror financing and other financial crime. KYC only verifies identity at onboarding. Nominis combines KYT with wallet screening and investigations in one platform.
About this article
Nominis publishes this article under its own name and is responsible for its accuracy. Articles are researched and drafted with AI assistance and approved by Nominis before publication; publication and update dates reflect substantive edits, not automated refreshes. Last updated: 2026-10-25