Are Crypto Transactions Traceable?

[YinminzCrypto]

I’m wondering are there ways to trace Crypto transactions like tracing an IP of someone when doing online transactions if so what are ways to protect yourself from getting traced. I’m rather uninformed on the subject and I would like to get up to speed on the current happenings right now.

[AB de Royse777]

I’m wondering are there ways to trace Crypto transactions like tracing an IP of someone when doing online transactions if so what are ways to protect yourself from getting traced. I’m rather uninformed on the subject and I would like to get up to speed on the current happenings right now.

Well with Bitcoin anyone can trace you with proper chain analysis tools. This chain analysis industry is getting bigger now a days.

There is this common misconception that bitcoin is anonymous but actually it is not. It is pseudonymous. When you are doing KYC with exchanges and sending coins there and withdrawing from there, the exchanges or any other companies knows your addresses and using those addresses they can figure out which one is yours.

And also when you are broadcasting a tx if you are not using VPN then whoever is controlling the server they can have your IP location.


So, over all you are actually anonymous.

[ChrisPop]

Well with Bitcoin anyone can trace you with proper chain analysis tools. This chain analysis industry is getting bigger now a days.

I don't think they can trace IP address. But if you had for example a KYC'ed account on an exchange and you withdraw from it and as an example let's say authorities want to follow your BTC footprint then they can see on what address that BTC went - because all the transactions are linked in the block"chain". However if you ask a person to send BTC in an empty address nobody could theoretically know that is your address.

[mocacinno]

I don't think they can trace IP address.
--snip--

I just wanted to confirm your toughts... Ip's are not stored in the blockchain... If you create a transaction and initially broadcast it to one or more nodes, these nodes could theoretically store your ip. However, these nodes simply do not know if you broadcasted a new transaction, or just rebroadcast a transaction you yourself received from somebody else.
It's a little different for SPV wallets, for example electrum. Theoretically, an SPV wallet does not rebroadcast transactions. So if an electrum wallet user is connected to an electrum node and sends a new tx to this node, the node operator could potentially store the ip together with the tx, so he'll be able to identify you (that's where tor might come in handy)

--snip--
However if you ask a person to send BTC in an empty address nobody could theoretically know that is your address.

That's true, untill you decide to spend those unspent outputs. If you spend multiple unspent outputs funding several addresses, everybody will be able to link those addresses together. And with some clever analysis of the receiving address, the amount of outputs (change),... one could potentially start to trace you (like you said before, as soon as you filled in KYC info for a service and somebody is able to link you to this service, you are no longer anonymous).

A big exception to all this is the people that were ignorant enough to use a web wallet, exchange wallet, casino wallet. Next to making their clients vulnerable to loads of other attack vectors, the online wallet operator could link every address to a user.

[DabsPoorVersion]

I’m wondering are there ways to trace Crypto transactions like tracing an IP of someone when doing online transactions

No, you can trace the transaction, but the person or the location behind that transaction is impossible to trace,

if so what are ways to protect yourself from getting traced. I’m rather uninformed on the subject and I would like to get up to speed on the current happenings right now.

I think if you undergo KYC, verifying your identification including your residence of address.
You can protect yourself from having traced if you do not undergo any KYC verification and stay hidden and anonymous as long as you want.

[Wapfika]

Transaction are traceable thru Blockchain Record as well when they know your address like in etherscan, the transaction are traceable not your IP r you personally. Unless you're using a local wallet that you do KYC or connect your social media account like one application here in our country then it can really trace you. Just know infos you filled up in that exchange or wallet since some saves your info.

[bitmover]

That's true, untill you decide to spend those unspent outputs. If you spend multiple unspent outputs funding several addresses, everybody will be able to link those addresses together. And with some clever analysis of the receiving address, the amount of outputs (change),... one could potentially start to trace you (like you said before, as soon as you filled in KYC info for a service and somebody is able to link you to this service, you are no longer anonymous).

A big exception to all this is the people that were ignorant enough to use a web wallet, exchange wallet, casino wallet. Next to making their clients vulnerable to loads of other attack vectors, the online wallet operator could link every address to a user.

There are even online tools that allows you to automatically trace all addresses that were used together in a same transaction, proving that the user hold all those private keys
Check this tool

https://www.walletexplorer.com/

If you paste an address there, you will see all other connected addresses

[s92225]

I agree with the links in the comments above, or if you are using exchanges like OKEX, you can check your transaction records.

[iamaruf]

That's true, untill you decide to spend those unspent outputs. If you spend multiple unspent outputs funding several addresses, everybody will be able to link those addresses together. And with some clever analysis of the receiving address, the amount of outputs (change),... one could potentially start to trace you (like you said before, as soon as you filled in KYC info for a service and somebody is able to link you to this service, you are no longer anonymous).

A big exception to all this is the people that were ignorant enough to use a web wallet, exchange wallet, casino wallet. Next to making their clients vulnerable to loads of other attack vectors, the online wallet operator could link every address to a user.

There are even online tools that allows you to automatically trace all addresses that were used together in a same transaction, proving that the user hold all those private keys
Check this tool

https://www.walletexplorer.com/

If you paste an address there, you will see all other connected addresses

Isn’t walletexplorer anb blockchain trx info same? I didn’t find any difference.if i paste my address in blockchain also i can see all of these same data

[MURONDI]

if they know your bitcoin address it will certainly be easy to trace, for those who are familiar with internet technology maybe they can also track your ip, You can change your bitcoin address, for ip problems you can use a trusted VPN, or use a browser, software or application that has anonymous features.

[mocacinno]

Isn’t walletexplorer anb blockchain trx info same? I didn’t find any difference.if i paste my address in blockchain also i can see all of these same data

there is a difference... walletexplorer combines the information it gets from all transactions...
If you have 3 addresses in the same wallet that were funded with 1 or more unspent outputs, you have this initial situation:
Address A: unspent_output_A_1, unspent_output_A_2
Address B: unspent_output_B_1
Address C: unspent_output_C_1

Now, let's say you make 2 transactions:
transaction 1: uses unspent_output_A_1 and unspent_output_B_1 as input and funds address D en address E
transaction 2: uses unspent_output_A_2 and unspent_output_C_1 as input and funds address F

blockchain will tell you address A and B belong to the same wallet (because unspent outputs funding these addresses were used together in tx 1)
blockchain will tell you address A and C belong to the same wallet (because unspent outputs funding these addresses were used together in tx 2)

walletexplorer will combine this info, and tell you address A, B and C belong to the same wallet because it analyses tx 1 and tx 2 and combines the info.
walletexplorer will also use community info to link addresses to services. If wallet explorer knows address A belongs to service X, it'll indicate that also address B and C belong to service X

[angrybirdy]

if they know your bitcoin address it will certainly be easy to trace, for those who are familiar with internet technology maybe they can also track your ip, You can change your bitcoin address, for ip problems you can use a trusted VPN, or use a browser, software or application that has anonymous features.

Transactions are traceable, but I don't think that it includes tracing the IP address of the user. Blockchain does not hold or a tool to trace the IP address of whoever did the transaction. Even without using VPN, tracing your location is not possible, unless you reveal it yourself.

[Lucius]

Bitcoin by itself is not anonymous, especially in the context of using SPV wallets like Electrum which mocacinno explained. In theory, anyone can run Electrum server, and by doing that they can see users' IP and all addresses/transactions. Some experienced hackers may try to reach the actual owner of a wallet by following the IP address and hack user ISP. I wonder how many public servers are actually owned by various three-letter agencies that monitor and collect customer data in this way, of course, all for the purpose of protecting national interests and combating terrorism.

The only way for protection of privacy is in using Tor (for now) since most VPNs are spying on users more than protecting them. Also, a high dose of privacy is achieved through the use of coin mixers in combination with Tor.

[yoseph]

if they know your bitcoin address it will certainly be easy to trace, for those who are familiar with internet technology maybe they can also track your ip, You can change your bitcoin address, for ip problems you can use a trusted VPN, or use a browser, software or application that has anonymous features.

Transactions are traceable, but I don't think that it includes tracing the IP address of the user. Blockchain does not hold or a tool to trace the IP address of whoever did the transaction. Even without using VPN, tracing your location is not possible, unless you reveal it yourself.

I know for a fact that Monero transactions cannot be traced due to its high anonymity a main reason why why people tend to prefer it over other cryptos and with Bitcoins I believe that it's very much traceable that's why people tend to use the bitcoin mixing services that are being offered a lot in the forum.

[Youghoor]

I’m wondering are there ways to trace Crypto transactions like tracing an IP of someone when doing online transactions if so what are ways to protect yourself from getting traced. I’m rather uninformed on the subject and I would like to get up to speed on the current happenings right now.

All cryptocurrency transactions are traceable if you know where exactly to look.  All cryptocurrency transactions use a specific address for each transaction and this address is very unique for any transaction made on the blockchain network. IP addresses of both the sender and receiver are usually captured on the blockchain network providing the possible locations of people involved in the transaction. These information is usually seen in the core of the blockchain network and can only be accessible to anyone who understand how the blockchain network algorithm work for a particular crypto coin blockchain network.

[Eugenar]

For you to figure out the ip address of a person, you need to track first the transaction and make a communication to the particular person that you want to trace. For example, knowing his/her transaction numbers on the blockchain records provides hint on their wallet address in the market. In that case, you can search the name of the user and make a personal message contact with him. There are some sites, which provides the services that you can send a link to them and once the user click that link, their ip will be trace.

You can use this: https://iplogger.org/

[Rodeo02]

if they know your bitcoin address it will certainly be easy to trace, for those who are familiar with internet technology maybe they can also track your ip, You can change your bitcoin address, for ip problems you can use a trusted VPN, or use a browser, software or application that has anonymous features.

Transactions are traceable, but I don't think that it includes tracing the IP address of the user. Blockchain does not hold or a tool to trace the IP address of whoever did the transaction. Even without using VPN, tracing your location is not possible, unless you reveal it yourself.

I know for a fact that Monero transactions cannot be traced .

Yes, this XMR is untraceble i will add other coins such as komodo they  are called privacy coin . If you dont want someone track your transaction privacy coin  was the better solution. Other crypto currency is traceable but you can use mixer if you dont want someone trace your transaction using bitcoin.

[CLS63]

Your transactions are stored in the system. It can be checked from there so it is kind of traceable. But if you use VPN when you are making a new transaction, I don't think that they can find the location of your transaction.

[bounceback]

I’m wondering are there ways to trace Crypto transactions like tracing an IP of someone when doing online transactions if so what are ways to protect yourself from getting traced. I’m rather uninformed on the subject and I would like to get up to speed on the current happenings right now.

although many people consider bitcoin to be an anonymous payment network, bitcoin is also a public transparent payment network that all transactions can be tracked and also uses the p2p network, so I advise you to be very careful when you want to send or receive bitcoin through your wallet and protect privacy You are as safe as possible.

[angrybirdy]

if they know your bitcoin address it will certainly be easy to trace, for those who are familiar with internet technology maybe they can also track your ip, You can change your bitcoin address, for ip problems you can use a trusted VPN, or use a browser, software or application that has anonymous features.

Transactions are traceable, but I don't think that it includes tracing the IP address of the user. Blockchain does not hold or a tool to trace the IP address of whoever did the transaction. Even without using VPN, tracing your location is not possible, unless you reveal it yourself.

I know for a fact that Monero transactions cannot be traced .

Yes, this XMR is untraceble i will add other coins such as komodo they  are called privacy coin . If you dont want someone track your transaction privacy coin  was the better solution. Other crypto currency is traceable but you can use mixer if you dont want someone trace your transaction using bitcoin.

Using a bitcoin mixer is another way to hide even transactions, it is an additional tool to hide every track of your transactions.
but yes, if you totally wanted to hide not only your location, identity, IP address and if it includes transaction blocks, then bitcoin mixer is actually the answer to these problems.