Is bitcoin anonymous?

[faulkner27]

The Bitcoin isn't anonymous, this cryptocurrency maintains a current, completely transparent ledger (log of transactions). While it is true that the coin owners are not identified by any immediately identifiable ID, payments using Bitcoins are not anonymous by design, and leak information.

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[MishaSER]

Bitcoin is not 100 percent anonymous. Transactions made on the Bitcoin blockchain are easily accessible and all transactions has some kind of identity code attached to it.   In as much that names of people making the transactions can't be seen, IP address of what people are using to make their transactions are attached to the blockchain. Once these IP address can be obtained, the identity and location of the person making the transaction can be easily identified. Bitcoin blockchain works like the torrent network.

Even though Bitcoin is rather pseudo-anonymous than completely anonymous, it is still possible for a user to maintain a decent level of anonymity if that user is aware of good privacy practices and can use available tools the right way. Transactions in Bitcoin do not contain any identity code, what they do contain is basically the information about inputs and output. Inputs and outputs are not connected to any identities, they are just pieces of code that contain information about the amount of bitcoin and the spending conditions. The information about IP addresses is stored neither in transactions nor in the blockchain itself. However, there are many other ways you can accidentally reveal your IP address. For example, when you check your transaction using clearnet block explorer, your transaction ID could be associated with your IP address.

I now want to know, but if you use mixers, they also read your ip, right? Interestingly, no one has yet hacked such services.

[witcher_sense]

I now want to know, but if you use mixers, they also read your ip, right? Interestingly, no one has yet hacked such services.

Well, it depends on whether you are using clearnet mixers or darknet mixers. In the former case, you can try to hide your real IP with any available VPN providers, but it doesn't guarantee that they will not share your IP with governments. You can hide your IP by accessing mixers through TOR, but it will not protect you if used incorrectly. There are many ways you can reveal your real identity even while using onion networks. Some bitcoin mixers are subject to regulation, which means they are forced to keep logs. And they will share your IP address if or when asked. So, before using any bitcoin mixers, make sure they have a zero-logs policy and won't keep your data. Again, all that requires trust in third parties. Imagine a situation in which a bitcoin mixer is silently collecting all the data about the correlation between transactions and IP addresses and later gets shut down by law enforcement agencies. If you weren't hiding your IP while mixing, you are going to face some problems regardless of whether you were involved in an illicit activity or not.

[MishaSER]

I now want to know, but if you use mixers, they also read your ip, right? Interestingly, no one has yet hacked such services.

Well, it depends on whether you are using clearnet mixers or darknet mixers. In the former case, you can try to hide your real IP with any available VPN providers, but it doesn't guarantee that they will not share your IP with governments. You can hide your IP by accessing mixers through TOR, but it will not protect you if used incorrectly. There are many ways you can reveal your real identity even while using onion networks. Some bitcoin mixers are subject to regulation, which means they are forced to keep logs. And they will share your IP address if or when asked. So, before using any bitcoin mixers, make sure they have a zero-logs policy and won't keep your data. Again, all that requires trust in third parties. Imagine a situation in which a bitcoin mixer is silently collecting all the data about the correlation between transactions and IP addresses and later gets shut down by law enforcement agencies. If you weren't hiding your IP while mixing, you are going to face some problems regardless of whether you were involved in an illicit activity or not.

Then why hide your transactions if the mixer can send your data to third parties. I can assume that over time, special services will pay attention to such mixers. It's getting very confusing))

[zxcv1]

Is Bitcoin entirely anonymous? It’s common for people to say that in reality bitcoin is absolutely anonymous but are not knowledgeable enough to know that is pseudonymous . Bitcoin being pseudonymous rather than the assumed anonymous gives us an understanding that each user has a established public address. So that further tells us theoretically bitcoin address can be traced back using an IP address or an exchange account.
We should be more concerned about to what level or extent is bitcoin anonymous ?

It's anonymous, but not if you want to buy with USD directly. someone has to give it to you, or you need to do shady deals like the internet scammers. May be other ways. Maybe you can convert USD to another less restricted fiat currency, but I'm not sure where you can physically buy bitcoin totally anonymously using a fiat currency. Possibly you could barter and sell goods for btc as payment.

Bitcoin still has ways to trace you, but it's much harder. And your knowledge of internet security in important. VPN, what's on your computer, definitely don't use Windows 10 which is pure spyware, Microsoft knows everything you do at every second. Etc.

[natalia stark]

it is the most common question that people ask when they hear about bitcoin but in the start it was unknown to everyone but now in this globalization era i think everyone knows that this is not an unknown entity but is a online treasure platform from which everyone can get a piece of profit. that is the reason even world richest man buying the BTC now because they kn ow for sure that they can make profit in the future it does not matter where is the money comming from.

so buy and sell and make profit do not ask question 

[Jemzx00]

I never thought about this. Will this anonymity affect the safety of the money there?

Yes and No.
No, because the anonymity of you gain from the crypto doesn't affect the safety of your money or crypto, bitcoin or ethereum.
Yes, because if your identity has been compromised then so is your wallet as criminals can directly find you and take the crypto out of you.
Bitcoin isn't anonymous rather the transaction and user's identity is safe as anyone can improve their security to even further the safety of your identity and anonymity.

[bosede1]

Seeing this question I was trying to wonder what the meaning of anonymous really is, to be anonymous is for something or someone to be unknown. If you are now saying that bitcoin is unknown I will like to ask further which aspect is it the originator or your address. Now I will say it's you that determine if you want your bitcoin to be anonymous or not.

[isaac_clarke22]

~

Depends.
When you hold it in an online wallet even if it is Bitcoin, your safety isn't guaranteed as you're not the one that holds the private keys.
When you don't hold your private keys, it ain't your money.
Consider buying hardware wallet for that or use desktop wallet if you don't have the coin to buy one.

[jacobjorden]

Is Bitcoin entirely anonymous? It’s common for people to say that in reality bitcoin is absolutely anonymous but are not knowledgeable enough to know that is pseudonymous . Bitcoin being pseudonymous rather than the assumed anonymous gives us an understanding that each user has a established public address. So that further tells us theoretically bitcoin address can be traced back using an IP address or an exchange account.
We should be more concerned about to what level or extent is bitcoin anonymous ?

Bitcoin is
pseudo-anonymous indeed.But are you really interestedin our anonymity while using Bitcoin?Many Bitcoin enthusiasts concentrate their money and efforts so that after saving, they gain more cash.It is not their concern to remain anonymous.Without doubt, bitcoin is becoming the digital gold.

[torrantz]

Bitcoin is pseudonymous because each of the Bitcoin transactions is recorded in the public. It opens up opportunities to find out who owns digital funds in specific wallets, but you can use mixers to protect your privacy and achieve the maximum level of anonymity.

Other than using mixer is just to use exchange, usually the money will be mixed automatically by the exchange therefore erasing the trace of transactions. Although the it's transparent ledger it's still kinda hard to identify if the owner of certain bitcoin move their asset frequently between exchange or even convert it to other alts.

[StartupAnalyst]

Exchanges require verification so until you don’t try to withdraw your assets you stay anonymous. Though there are ways to make BTC totally anonymous and not to worry that somebody will get your personal data. There are ways to pull your assets without exchanges. Floating IP address or VPN helps to stay anonymous in Internet.

[Stedsm]

Pseudonymous as everyone calls it, but I believe it's completely transparent thanks to its underlying technology we call Blockchain and those agencies like Chainalysis who won't even need to smoke a full cigarette till they simply find out which address belongs to whom/where. I honestly think we need to restructure this whole question because anonymity is nowhere here. Just go to an exchange and even try to withdraw your deposits, you'll be asked to go through KYC first.

[Twentyonepaylots]

Bitcoin offers anonymity but it itself is not anonymous. It has parameters and commands in its system that ensures that each and every coin in the market can be traced back to the origin, thus ensuring that no coin can be counterfeited, blockchain is an example of this feature. Now, were someone decides to find you through the blockchain, he would be able to find your transactions and all, but that does not mean that he found you.

[angrynerd88]

Agreeing to my knowledge Bitcoin isn't mysterious, since Bitcoin looks genuine and open, everything can be followed from the wallet address or exchange, but cannot be known for the individual information of the wallet address proprietor. Perhaps as it were Bitcoin makers can be said to be mysterious, since everybody doesn't know their individual information from at that point until now. So on the off chance that you're not beyond any doubt it is superior to do a survey to get authentic results.

[SmokerFace]

Bitcoin as well as each exchange you made likewise anonymous and that is the main motivation behind why crooks use bitcoin to purchase unlawful stuff like medications, weapons. Bitcoin hides your character regardless of where you're and from where you have a place nobody ready to follow you, occasion government can not reach you. I consider it a hindrance to bitcoins.

[ukw]

Is Bitcoin entirely anonymous? It’s common for people to say that in reality bitcoin is absolutely anonymous but are not knowledgeable enough to know that is pseudonymous . Bitcoin being pseudonymous rather than the assumed anonymous gives us an understanding that each user has a established public address. So that further tells us theoretically bitcoin address can be traced back using an IP address or an exchange account.
We should be more concerned about to what level or extent is bitcoin anonymous ?

In my opinion, anonymity is one of the main ideas that stand
  not only behind Bitcoin but also behind all cryptocurrencies. Anonymity and independence, that's where it all starts.

[illete]

It is upto the client and the specialized information he has got in employing a bitcoin wallet address for exchange purposes. When we conversation of the namelessness, it is pseudo mysterious. This implies everything is open and in case the conclusion users were known, at that point the complete detail of their wallets can be seen by everybody. To overcome the same it requires more frame of blending administrations. At any rate in case directed without a doubt it'll lose this interesting include.

[Matimtim]

Yes bitcoin is anonymous because from the beggining until now no one knows who invented bitcoin and the idea of this came from, but even all crypto currency like bitcoin and the other digital currency are anonymous its doesn't mean we can't control it,  so even the origin of those currency are not yet revealed  and still anonymous we can still use it to make money, so nothing to worry about that.

[EvieLannister]

Bitcoin is anonymous. I don't know if it's pseudo anonymous or not, but if you have bitcoins on a non-custodian wallet there's literally no way for somebody to find out. Once you make a transaction, again, same thing. You just broadcast a signed message. Nodes don't know who moved the bitcoins, because they don't know who sent/received the message first.

When anonymity loses its point? Once you reveal yourself! If you believe that you have to sell your bitcoins, then yeah, at least 1 person will find out who you are, because somehow you'll have to transfer fiat.

Cryptography makes it anonymous, whether we want it or not.

this anonymity is good, I suppose. It protests personal information and security. in crypto field, no one knows who is doing the transaction though transaction is ongoing every minute. transaction is transparent while the sender and recipient are invisible, isn't it reasonable? I love this anonymity