Christiaan Vos
SEP 03, 2022
Cointelegraph
1.
Can you trace a Bitcoin transaction?
2.
What makes Bitcoin traceable?
3.
How are Bitcoin transactions traced?
4.
Can you search for a Bitcoin wallet address?
5.
What are the challenges in tracking a Bitcoin address?
6.
Can you have an anonymous Bitcoin wallet?
7.
Should I share my Bitcoin address publicly?
1.
Can you trace a Bitcoin transaction?
Through blockchain explorers, one can easily track Bitcoin transactions, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to conduct Bitcoin transactions anonymously.
It is certainly possible to trace a Bitcoin (BTC) transaction. Bitcoin explorers allow you to map activity on the Bitcoin blockchain. Thanks to this transparency, transactions are traceable and you can think of the blockchain as a kind of open database full of Bitcoin transactions.
Other cryptocurrencies like Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL) also have their own blockchain explorers called Etherscan and SolScan. In all these explorers, you can find information about the transactions on the blockchain, such as how much crypto was sent and which addresses were involved in the transaction. Despite the transparency of the blockchain, many people think that you can still make Bitcoin transactions anonymously.
However, more and more countries are implementing Know Your Customer (KYC) rules, which require you to reveal your identity on centralized trading platforms. By disclosing your identity, it becomes a lot easier for the government to discover what transactions you have carried out and to see what is in your Bitcoin wallet.
To be able to trade on a central exchange, personal data will have to be supplied to the exchange. Bitcoin addresses can therefore be linked to personal data. Since the data of previous Bitcoin transactions is not deleted, it is always possible to view past transactions.
2.
What makes Bitcoin traceable?
Bitcoin transactions are traceable because Bitcoin’s blockchain is completely transparent and every transaction is publicly stored on a distributed ledger.
Since 2013, various studies have been looking into tracking Bitcoin transactions and their associated identities. Although it is possible to create a certain form of anonymity with cryptocurrencies, it is difficult to send transactions completely anonymously via the Bitcoin blockchain. Blockchains remain fully open and accessible to everyone.
Thanks to the transparency of the blockchain, it is possible to easily track money flows. If the identity behind a wallet address is known, then the transactions made can be traced back and traced in the future. All these transactions can be viewed in detail. In this way, it is possible to see which amount was sent, but also on which date and to which wallet.
3.
How are Bitcoin transactions traced?
With increasing legislation and surveillance, governments can trace fraudulent BTC transactions more easily by finding the identity behind a Bitcoin wallet address.
In recent years, millions in cryptocurrencies have been seized by various governments worldwide. Criminals saw the opportunities that blockchain technology has to offer and tried to buy cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin as anonymously as possible.
Ultimately, this did not work out well for many fraudsters and it can be stated that Bitcoin transactions are not fully anonymous. These events have helped to tighten legislation in this area and intensify the search for fraudulent transactions.
When trading from Bitcoin wallets whose identity is not known, transactions can be traced quickly, but it can take time to find out the identity. When someone wants to exchange their cryptocurrencies for United States dollars, it already becomes a lot easier to trace the identity of the wallet owner and trace back the transactions.
4.
Can you search for a Bitcoin wallet address?
It is possible to search for a Bitcoin wallet address through a Bitcoin explorer. However, finding a crypto address does not mean that you also know the identity behind it.
When you don’t have any identifying information that goes with the Bitcoin wallet, it’s hard to search. Through a blockchain explorer, it is easy to find transactions and addresses, but it can take a lot of time to find out the identity behind a wallet address.
Because someone’s wallet address does not have to be anonymous but can be hard to find, a Bitcoin wallet address is called a pseudonym, an alias, which is different from someone’s actual name. The data is not linked to an identity, but it is still possible to trace someone’s identity or a pseudonym.
5.
What are the challenges in tracking a Bitcoin address?
It can be difficult to track Bitcoin transactions when people use various wallets and Bitcoin mixers. These factors disrupt the search process and take up a lot of time.
Despite the fact that it is challenging for users of a Bitcoin wallet to conduct transactions completely anonymously, there are several ways to get close to anonymity. For example, it is possible to use a cryptocurrency mixer.
In this case, it is a Bitcoin mixer, which ensures that it is more difficult to make Bitcoin traceable. This is done by mixing BTC transactions from different people together in a pool, then sending the transactions to the intended addresses.
In addition, wallets can also be very difficult to monitor. If someone does not want their activities on the Bitcoin network to be traceable, it is possible to create a sort of smoke screen. By creating many crypto wallets and carrying out various transactions between these wallets, it can be more difficult for anyone to trace transactions and wallets.
Both challenges are difficult on their own, but combining them can make tracking Bitcoin addresses a lot more difficult. Tracking transactions and wallets will take an enormous amount of time and energy.
6.
Can you have an anonymous Bitcoin wallet?
Anonymous Bitcoin wallets exist, but be careful while handling them. You can reveal your identity, which defeats the purpose of the wallet.
It is certainly possible to have an anonymous Bitcoin wallet. However, a wallet alone is not enough to ensure this anonymity. When someone makes several transactions, an identity can be linked to a wallet where this information is known. Due to the tightened KYC rules for exchanges, it seems to be increasingly challenging to conduct transactions in a completely anonymous way.
Nevertheless, there are Bitcoin wallets that allow you to operate completely anonymously. The Electrum wallet is an example of this, which can also be integrated with a hardware wallet. Before making the choice to use an anonymous wallet, it is useful to first consider how Bitcoin will get on this wallet. When BTC is sent from an exchange with KYC, the anonymity is already gone.
7.
Should I share my Bitcoin address publicly?
It is not a problem to share public keys, but make sure the private key cannot be found by third parties. Transactions can be sent to the public key, which is completely secure.
It is safe to share your Bitcoin address publicly. This way, it is possible to safely complete donations or payments. No cryptocurrencies can be stolen through a public address. The only way by which stealing crypto is possible is if someone has managed to get hold of the private keys.
Bitcoin wallets always make a difference between public keys and private keys. A public key can be compared to your email address. Anyone can send emails to it, but only the owner of the email address can read them. With a cryptocurrency address, this is no different since others can use this address to send crypto, and the owner of the address is the only one who can use the digital asset.
The private key is the password to enter the wallet. It is important that this unique code is kept in an offline place where no one can access it. Sharing personal data, such as the private keys and the wallet password, with others can cause the wallet in question to be emptied. Therefore, only share the public key if necessary and keep the other codes in a safe place.
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