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Co-spend heuristic

Definition

The inference that when multiple Bitcoin inputs appear in one transaction, all those input addresses are controlled by the same entity, because constructing the transaction requires signing with every input's private key.

Related terms

Attribution database
A commercial or law-enforcement dataset that maps known addresses or address clusters to real-world entities: exchanges, darknet markets, ransomware operators, sanctioned individuals,...
Change-address heuristic
The inference that one output from a Bitcoin transaction (usually the smaller one, to a fresh address) is change returning to the...
De-anonymisation
The process of linking a pseudonymous address or cluster to a real-world identity. Most commonly achieved through exchange KYC records, but also...
Mixing (tumbling)
A service or protocol that accepts cryptocurrency inputs from multiple users and returns equivalent outputs in a way designed to break the...
Peel chain
A transaction pattern where one large input is repeatedly split, sending most of the value one hop forward and a small remainder...

Explained in

  • Cryptocurrency Tracing TechniquesThe inference that when multiple Bitcoin inputs appear in one transaction, all those input addresses are controlled by the same entity, because constructing th...

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