Tracing the chain

[subwoofer12]

Does anyone know of a website that shows how two addresses are linked together?

Basically, I'm looking for a tool where you enter both the sending and receiving address and be able to visually see what addresses the coins have passed through. Kind of like the tree charts at Blockchain.info
https://blockchain.info/tree/63317529

[BitCoinDream]

Does anyone know of a website that shows how two addresses are linked together?

Basically, I'm looking for a tool where you enter both the sending and receiving address and be able to visually see what addresses the coins have passed through. Kind of like the tree charts at Blockchain.info
https://blockchain.info/tree/63317529

This is actually a well sought after feature. I asked about it in January probably. There is no such tool available for this AFAIK. I guess, anyone who runs a block explorer, may introduce this feature and his/her service will receive great PR.

[freedombit]

Does anyone know of a website that shows how two addresses are linked together?

Basically, I'm looking for a tool where you enter both the sending and receiving address and be able to visually see what addresses the coins have passed through. Kind of like the tree charts at Blockchain.info
https://blockchain.info/tree/63317529

Good idea.

[hhanh00]

Due to the fungibility of bitcoin, linking two addresses is computationally difficult and the result could be too large to be useful.

For example, what if SatoshiDice is in the path? You could end up connecting to all their users.

[Gleb Gamow]

Due to the fungibility of bitcoin, linking two addresses is computationally difficult and the result could be too large to be useful.

For example, what if SatoshiDice is in the path? You could end up connecting to all their users.

Not if filters are installed.

I asked about this very same thing over a year ago. It seems like it's something easy to built, but perhaps it's not to somebody(s) best interest to have such readily available due to how the tool would be used, and boy would I use the shit outta it.

[bornil267645]

I am still searching for the answer, no luck.

[montello]

This would really be useful if developed but don't think there is anything like that for now to the best of my konwledge.

[hhanh00]

Due to the fungibility of bitcoin, linking two addresses is computationally difficult and the result could be too large to be useful.

For example, what if SatoshiDice is in the path? You could end up connecting to all their users.

Not if filters are installed.

I asked about this very same thing over a year ago. It seems like it's something easy to built, but perhaps it's not to somebody(s) best interest to have such readily available due to how the tool would be used, and boy would I use the shit outta it.

You need to be more specific in your description of a solution. Many of the problems related to graphs are NP-complete even when they appear easy to describe. It seems to me that a variation of the A* algorithm could work but considering the size of the graph (millions of nodes) and the difficult choice of a distance to target heuristic, it still looks difficult. Maybe that's why it's not implemented.

[BitsBitsBits]

Sounds like a good idea, but mixing services will make this obsolete and people won't be able to trace those coins. But for other stuff it is a good idea and I'm sure many will find use for it.

[The00Dustin]

It's too bad no one reads threads before they reply anymore, it's getting to the point where reading a thread is as bad or worse than actually listening to a broken record for real.  That having been said, what do you think there is to gain out of such a service?  A service that shows a chain from a starting address to an ending address if one exists would not be useful for anything other than entertainment.  As mentioned by previous posters, mixing services and things like satoshidice that have the same side effect as a mixing service mean that just because the starting and ending address had coins in the same place somewhere in between does not mean they are truly linked in any way.  Moreover, even if they were truly linked (with no mixed/questionable route transactions between them), there could be unidentified or unidentifiable middle-men who could be leaving the link completely meaningless.  As such, a service like this wouldn't prove anything.  OTOH, if you chose a starting address OR an ending address (perhaps going back x blocks or transactions from before the ending address), then you would get the huge mess other posters are talking about, which would also likely be useless, but perhaps more entertaining.

[BitcoinBadger]

I don't see what's the use of it..unless you are in need of amusement..

[chennan]

I don't see what's the use of it..unless you are in need of amusement..

I think it is userfull to track where their Bitcoin is going and coming from. We can use this function to track stolen balance as well.

[Mightycoin]

Does anyone know of a website that shows how two addresses are linked together?

Basically, I'm looking for a tool where you enter both the sending and receiving address and be able to visually see what addresses the coins have passed through. Kind of like the tree charts at Blockchain.info
https://blockchain.info/tree/63317529

It is far more difficult that we think,the deeper insights are more not easily viable

[aboo]

Agreed this would be incredibly complex. The block chain is transparent but very complicated and difficult to follow.

If a tool were able to do what you are asking it would be very valuable indeed.

[Wealthy]

Why whould you even need such info? And it will be useless to other than to amuse yourself.