Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Electrum => Topic started by: rulfito on November 15, 2013, 10:59:25 AM



Title: anonymizing addresses
Post by: rulfito on November 15, 2013, 10:59:25 AM
Hi, noob here so probably totally confused....

When I open an electrum wallet, several receiving addresses are generated. Are these linked to each other in some way? For example, I designate one address for receiving from Bob and a different address for receiving from Joe, will Bob and Joe's transactions be linked?

I'm working on creating an offline electrum wallet for saving some btc and would like to have those coins anonymous. Would this work?

1. Buy on localbtc

2. Localbtc wall to Blockchain info wall.

3. Blockchain info wall to electrum wall




Title: Re: anonymizing addresses
Post by: dserrano5 on November 15, 2013, 12:02:24 PM
When I open an electrum wallet, several receiving addresses are generated. Are these linked to each other in some way? For example, I designate one address for receiving from Bob and a different address for receiving from Joe, will Bob and Joe's transactions be linked?

They may be linked in the future when you spend those coins.

If you go through bc.info, then the buys will be linked when you transfer all funds from bc.info to your wallet.


Title: Re: anonymizing addresses
Post by: oggers on November 15, 2013, 12:37:11 PM
I think they are "linked" trought the seed or maybe I must say they were "generated" by the same seed.

Anybody that doesn't know the seed cannot figure out that these addresses were generated by the same seed.

Don't believe me much, but I think so. Maybe someone can correct me.


Title: Re: anonymizing addresses
Post by: orsana on November 15, 2013, 12:40:57 PM
The addresses may be linked in the future, for example, you receive 1BTC at address A and 1BTC at address B. You need to send Bob 1.5BTC, so your client sends 1BTC from A and 0.5BTC from B in the same transaction. Somebody who is checking the blockchain can see that A and B both belong to the same person.

They are not 'linked' by the same seed.

If you wish to not have two payments link together, you should generate a seperate wallet file and keep the payments in seperate wallets.


Title: Re: anonymizing addresses
Post by: rulfito on November 16, 2013, 03:29:46 AM
The addresses may be linked in the future, for example, you receive 1BTC at address A and 1BTC at address B. You need to send Bob 1.5BTC, so your client sends 1BTC from A and 0.5BTC from B in the same transaction. Somebody who is checking the blockchain can see that A and B both belong to the same person.

They are not 'linked' by the same seed.

If you wish to not have two payments link together, you should generate a seperate wallet file and keep the payments in seperate wallets.

Thanks!

Would this path work:

1. Only one localbtc to buy coins.

2. Send from localbtc to bc.info Wallets A and B

3. b.info Wallet A sends to Electrum A

4. b.info Wallet B sends to Electrum B

Would electrum A and B still have linkage due to the original localbtc wallet?



Title: Re: anonymizing addresses
Post by: dserrano5 on November 16, 2013, 09:46:45 AM
Would this path work:

1. Only one localbtc to buy coins.

2. Send from localbtc to bc.info Wallets A and B

3. b.info Wallet A sends to Electrum A

4. b.info Wallet B sends to Electrum B

Would electrum A and B still have linkage due to the original localbtc wallet?

Yes, albeit a weaker one since there's an intermediate transaction in between.


Title: Re: anonymizing addresses
Post by: rulfito on November 18, 2013, 04:20:38 AM
Would this path work:

1. Only one localbtc to buy coins.

2. Send from localbtc to bc.info Wallets A and B

3. b.info Wallet A sends to Electrum A

4. b.info Wallet B sends to Electrum B

Would electrum A and B still have linkage due to the original localbtc wallet?

Yes, albeit a weaker one since there's an intermediate transaction in between.

What would a better method be?

I thought that when you transfer btc to and from a web wallet, such as blockchain.info, the coins that get transferred out are not really the same ones you put in. They are a random bunch of coins from the pool which blockchain.info is holding ofr its users. 

Wouldn't that mean that the coins coming from bc.info A and B would not be related to the original localbtc wallet as they are not actually coins that came from there.


Title: Re: anonymizing addresses
Post by: torusJKL on December 01, 2013, 09:27:38 AM

What would a better method be?

I thought that when you transfer btc to and from a web wallet, such as blockchain.info, the coins that get transferred out are not really the same ones you put in. They are a random bunch of coins from the pool which blockchain.info is holding ofr its users. 

Wouldn't that mean that the coins coming from bc.info A and B would not be related to the original localbtc wallet as they are not actually coins that came from there.

AFAIK when you use blockchain.info as your wallet then you use your own addresses and thus the btc are never in a pool where they could get mixed and distributed differently.

You might want to try Mt. Gox.
But you will have to pay withdrawal fees.


Title: Re: anonymizing addresses
Post by: xephyr on December 01, 2013, 07:05:37 PM
Would this path work:

1. Only one localbtc to buy coins.

2. Send from localbtc to bc.info Wallets A and B

3. b.info Wallet A sends to Electrum A

4. b.info Wallet B sends to Electrum B

Would electrum A and B still have linkage due to the original localbtc wallet?

Yes, albeit a weaker one since there's an intermediate transaction in between.

What would a better method be?

I thought that when you transfer btc to and from a web wallet, such as blockchain.info, the coins that get transferred out are not really the same ones you put in. They are a random bunch of coins from the pool which blockchain.info is holding ofr its users. 

Wouldn't that mean that the coins coming from bc.info A and B would not be related to the original localbtc wallet as they are not actually coins that came from there.

Consider using the Send Shared or Shared Coin mixer at blockchain.info to anonymize your coins and put the anonymous mixed coins in a new wallet to avoid taint, see the guide to sending bitcoin anonymously (https://axablends.com/merchants-accepting-bitcoin/bitcoin-discussion/guide-to-sending-bitcoin-anonymously/).