BestMixer.io vs. Wasabi wallet

[Crypto Carabao Group]

One of our associates received BestMixer spam dust txs.
They come from vanity addresses that start with 1BestMix...
ELIs here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/9r9qud/if_you_have_recently_received_a_very_small_amount/
https://twitter.com/SamouraiWallet/status/1055345822076936192

This is one of the easiest ways to actually tag and track Bitcoin users and flows, rather than anonymize them by mixing.
So, we're trying to find out more about BestMixer, particularly how it compares with wasabi wallet:

How is BestMixer better than https://www.wasabiwallet.io/?

Is it just because it can also mix shitcoins?

Are there also real-time statistics anywhere about how many BTC BestMixer has mixed so far?

Is it also non-custodial like wasabi?

Is BestMixer also open-source code?
If not, how can we be sure that BestMixer is not just a honeypot of the chainalysis companies? Just trust them?

[ralle14]

This is one of the easiest ways to actually tag and track Bitcoin users and flows, rather than anonymize them by mixing.
So, we're trying to find out more about BestMixer, particularly how it compares with wasabi wallet:

It depends on the wallet you're using if you're still using an old (legacy) wallet it's unavoidable.

If you want to know more (including why they sent dusts), read some feedbacks, and discussions about Bestmixer they have their own ann thread. Looking at their profile they seem to be active here in the forum.

In terms of mixing wasabi is probably better judging from what i've read between the two. Haven't tried both of them so don't quote me.

[nopara73]

Not long ago I wrote an article about Traditional Bitcoin Mixers: https://medium.com/@nopara73/traditional-bitcoin-mixers-6a092e59d8c2

BestMixer falls into that category.

[Crypto Carabao Group]

Not long ago I wrote an article about Traditional Bitcoin Mixers: https://medium.com/@nopara73/traditional-bitcoin-mixers-6a092e59d8c2

BestMixer falls into that category.

Thanks. What about the practice of BestMixer unsolicited spamming so many random users' wallets?

Is it more likely to be just a dumb marketing gimmick, or an attempt to taint as many wallets as possible to create data for chainalysis companies?

[buwaytress]

Not long ago I wrote an article about Traditional Bitcoin Mixers: https://medium.com/@nopara73/traditional-bitcoin-mixers-6a092e59d8c2

BestMixer falls into that category.

Thanks. What about the practice of BestMixer unsolicited spamming so many random users' wallets?

Is it more likely to be just a dumb marketing gimmick, or an attempt to taint as many wallets as possible to create data for chainalysis companies?

This is the first time I'm hearing about it to be honest, but you're probably right in the former guess: that it's more likely a dumb marketing gimmick. I don't see any point in a mixer or any service for that matter to try and taint, unless, as you say, blockchain analysis companies are paying them. But I equally don't see why they (the companies) couldn't just spray the dust themselves. I've never yet, to my memory, gained any unexpected coins to my own wallet, but to be sure if I do, and I never find out where they're from, I'd immediately freeze those inputs (Electrum can do this too) and mark it myself.

Care to share those vanity addresses? If it's more than 1, we could even try to find out if they're still doing it, and perhaps even ask them ourselves. I'll ask  if you can provide 1 or more of those addresses!

[Crypto Carabao Group]

Not long ago I wrote an article about Traditional Bitcoin Mixers: https://medium.com/@nopara73/traditional-bitcoin-mixers-6a092e59d8c2

BestMixer falls into that category.

Thanks. What about the practice of BestMixer unsolicited spamming so many random users' wallets?

Is it more likely to be just a dumb marketing gimmick, or an attempt to taint as many wallets as possible to create data for chainalysis companies?

This is the first time I'm hearing about it to be honest, but you're probably right in the former guess: that it's more likely a dumb marketing gimmick. I don't see any point in a mixer or any service for that matter to try and taint, unless, as you say, blockchain analysis companies are paying them. But I equally don't see why they (the companies) couldn't just spray the dust themselves. I've never yet, to my memory, gained any unexpected coins to my own wallet, but to be sure if I do, and I never find out where they're from, I'd immediately freeze those inputs (Electrum can do this too) and mark it myself.

Care to share those vanity addresses? If it's more than 1, we could even try to find out if they're still doing it, and perhaps even ask them ourselves. I'll ask  if you can provide 1 or more of those addresses!

This looks like one of them:
https://www.smartbit.com.au/tx/4650c380f745e1f522e836392dde40a6fc362c734c441156c5a9a5a3c3159065

If you were a chainalysis company, would you spray taint dust yourself without any explanation, or would you try to hide behind yet another centralized mixer service spraying harmless looking marketing dust?

[buwaytress]

This looks like one of them:
https://www.smartbit.com.au/tx/4650c380f745e1f522e836392dde40a6fc362c734c441156c5a9a5a3c3159065

If you were a chainalysis company, would you spray taint dust yourself without any explanation, or would you try to hide behind yet another centralized mixer service spraying harmless looking marketing dust?

Thanks... would you happen to have others from the same mixer?

This particular one is pretty insidious, almost 1,800 addresses touched by their very identifiable 888 satoshi outputs. The address does seem to be getting quite a bit of dust back as well, though, judging from recent 888 sat spends (and the address getting 696 sats back after 1 sat/byte fees)... so maybe this is people getting revenge and spending the dust back... at current network fees, it's very doable.

If I were a company, I'd spray quietly, rather than give a trail to a centralised service that could spill the beans on me.

[Crypto Carabao Group]

This looks like one of them:
https://www.smartbit.com.au/tx/4650c380f745e1f522e836392dde40a6fc362c734c441156c5a9a5a3c3159065

If you were a chainalysis company, would you spray taint dust yourself without any explanation, or would you try to hide behind yet another centralized mixer service spraying harmless looking marketing dust?

Thanks... would you happen to have others from the same mixer?

This particular one is pretty insidious, almost 1,800 addresses touched by their very identifiable 888 satoshi outputs. The address does seem to be getting quite a bit of dust back as well, though, judging from recent 888 sat spends (and the address getting 696 sats back after 1 sat/byte fees)... so maybe this is people getting revenge and spending the dust back... at current network fees, it's very doable.

If I were a company, I'd spray quietly, rather than give a trail to a centralised service that could spill the beans on me.

We don't have any more examples to make public.

If a company were to spray quietly, they couldn't do it on this scale, because that would attract inquiry.
Seems that it would be better for them just to make it appear as advertising spam.