What is taint?

[unclemantis]

I have been reading about stolen coins and taint and now I am worried that the btc i have in my possession could someday be worthless based on the amount or lack their of taint.

For instance according to blockchain.info transactions show the following information


Branch
Address
Taint (%)
Count   
Top IPs

One of my addresses currently have taint percentages as high as 64 percent and as low as 0 percent.

I see in Branch colors such as yellow, blue, magenta, etc...

i see count as high as 35 and as low as 1.

Top IPs is blank.

What does all this mean?

Are my bitcoins safe? Are they MY BITCOINS?

[maaku]

Taint is a measure of how likely it is that two addresses are related (aka, owned by the same person). That is all. It is only of concern if you are trying to stay (pseudo-)anonymous.

[hazek]

I believe people around here use the word taint for the follow two meanings:

1. bitcoins being assumed to have come from a theft based on some previous address they were sitting at

2. the relationship between the address the bitcoins are sitting at now with some other address (0% - no relation, 100% - next previous address)


I believe blockchain.info is using the word taint for the 2nd purpose which doesn't say anything about the perceived or actual legitimacy of some specific bitcoins but merely attemps to compare the connectivity between some specific addresses.

[cryptoanarchist]

I thought taint was the little piece of skin between the....

..oops, nevermind 

[piuk]

This is the best I could explain the taint analysis you see on blockchain.info but i'm not sure it is very clear: (fictional example for address 1MtPYAjqohLH5gMq3PH5xKVFWWDxrRQEbh)



All addresses which have received a payment are "tainted" and it in no way effects the value of the coins.

[jim618]

Maybe a more neutral word like 'correlation' would be better.
Taint definitely has negative associations.

[eleuthria]

Maybe a more neutral word like 'correlation' would be better.
Taint definitely has negative associations.

Definitely agree with this.  Until recently, whenever 'taint' was discussed, it was in relation to how many coins in a users wallet have originated from a known theft.

[boonies4u]

I believe people around here use the word taint for the follow two meanings:

1. bitcoins being assumed to have come from a theft based on some previous address they were sitting at

2. the relationship between the address the bitcoins are sitting at now with some other address (0% - no relation, 100% - next previous address)


I believe blockchain.info is using the word taint for the 2nd purpose which doesn't say anything about the perceived or actual legitimacy of some specific bitcoins but merely attemps to compare the connectivity between some specific addresses.

Sounds like a good way to check how well you're having your coins laundered.

I thought taint was the little piece of skin between the....

..oops, nevermind 

I was thinking of the Thaumcraft mod for Minecraft. 

[mystery2048]

Basically, taint is the problem where part of your coins are mixed with stolen, laundered, or illegitimate coins. It will eventually be a huge problem for bitcoin, as exchanges and merchants will refuse to take coins above a certain taint %. We may also find trading freezes up, people are stuck with coins they cant use, and bitcoins lose a lot of their worth.

[John (John K.)]

Basically, taint is the problem where part of your coins are mixed with stolen, laundered, or illegitimate coins. It will eventually be a huge problem for bitcoin, as exchanges and merchants will refuse to take coins above a certain taint %. We may also find trading freezes up, people are stuck with coins they cant use, and bitcoins lose a lot of their worth.

False. Please ignore this nonsense.

Taint, in this case is the measure of correlation between two addresses, and primarily used to determine if there is any connection between the two addresses.

[mystery2048]

Actually, the guy above me is wrong, I believe you will find that I am right in that "tainted" coins were a problem first associated with MtGox who started blocking accounts who received them.

[rjk]

Actually, the guy above me is wrong, I believe you will find that I am right in that "tainted" coins were a problem first associated with MtGox who started blocking accounts who received them.

Go learn about what CONTEXT means, you fool.

[unclemantis]

Well if I am storing coins in a cold storage vault I need to find a way to clean these coins up! I don't want them to be unusable when i need to bust into it

[niko]

Well if I am storing coins in a cold storage vault I need to find a way to clean these coins up! I don't want them to be unusable when i need to bust into it

Please elaborate. Are you a robot?

[John (John K.)]

Well if I am storing coins in a cold storage vault I need to find a way to clean these coins up! I don't want them to be unusable when i need to bust into it

In a nutshell, don't worry about 'taint'. No one's not accepting 'tainted' coins at all, and MTGox was foolish to even suggest this at the first place. The worst they could do is request you to be verified if all your coins are 'tainted', according to them. 'Tainting' in bitcoins are kind of the same as 'taint' in cash, which is kind of ridiculous.

[tatsuchan]

It taint your balls and it taint your a.......nevermind.  See posts above 

[cerberre]

Can someone confirm this ? According to the taint analysis below :


https://blockchain.info/taint/1D1U3vcxuY2wyrMdznsKU6PeM2Y72AnyRS


The guy who owns the bitcoin address 1Ne5bGjDdgmbsGdNK9ocwrQiWf8K1FTuSa has the ip address :

24.179.35.69 (whois)


This guy reaped off 58 millions dollars in Bitcoin !!! He is the one who stole flexcoin, thousands of bitcoin wallets and mtgox !

Can someone confirm if I am interpreting this taint analysis correctly ?

[analytics]

Nice, so blockchain is helping people to wash coins by providing them means to analysis if they washed enough. 

Now we know blockchains true intentions.