De-anonymisation
Definition
The process of linking a pseudonymous address or cluster to a real-world identity. Most commonly achieved through exchange KYC records, but also through IP logs, blockchain explorer account data, and open-source intelligence.
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...
- Co-spend heuristic
- The inference that when multiple Bitcoin inputs appear in one transaction, all those input addresses are controlled by the same entity, because...
- 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 process of linking a pseudonymous address or cluster to a real-world identity. Most commonly achieved through exchange KYC records, but also through IP log...