Remember; your transactions are public and anyone can figure out who owns what wallet if people don’t practice proper safety online.

One of my coworkers received their Master's degree in Computer Forensics, and worked at a lab tracking cyber criminals and specialized in tracking criminal crypto payments. I'm an accountant, and together we have begun creating a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on cyber security, and I'd like to share some fairly boring, yet critical information with you so that maybe you can patch some holes in your security.

How are transactions even visible to the public?

The blockchain obviously doesn't directly link your name to your wallet, but a blockchain is simply a large, chronological, indefinite and irreversible ledger. Lots of other information can be stored on the blockchain as well, but for our purposes the ledger portion is the most important. Specific amounts of currency is directly sent to specific wallets, and each transaction is public along with the time at which it occurred. All of this information is easily searchable through a Blockchain Explorer, in which this data is easily searchable by wallet address, by transaction number, or even chronologically by block. This is inherently dangerous from a privacy standpoint, because each and every wallet can have every transaction traced back to its infancy. If an individual was able to tie your name to your public wallet address, then your personal security is drastically compromised.

What are the most common ways that identities are traced to wallets?

It may seem downright dumb, but social media is the easiest way to link crypto transactions to names. Lots of people will post their public wallet on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter etc., looking for "tips" or donations for their contributions. As soon as that wallet is posted, a direct link is made between their wallet and name, thus making their future transactions even less safe than using fiat.

Exchanges are also an easy way to lose privacy. Since your name is directly linked to the addresses provided for your use, it goes without saying that any transactions from exchange are not secure. Blockchain transactions are also historical. If your currency is consistently routed through an exchange to a cold wallet, a direct link can be made from your cold wallet, to your exchange wallet, to your identity.

A little less common is mining pools. Ethermine specifically links partially visible email addresses to wallets. A partial email address can be easily searched, and most email addresses can be linked to an identity through basic Open Source Intelligence tactics.

What are some good practices to ensure my privacy with crypto?

Staying private is no easy task. Here is a basic list of best practices to bolster your security:

-Mine your own currency, and store in an offline wallet

-Never post your public address. Don't even post a QR code version.

-Use a Bitcoin ATM. By using a prepaid card or cash, you can send your crypto currency to either an existing wallet or a new paper wallet generated at the machine. Stay aware of cameras in the general vicinity.

-Use Peer-to-Peer exchanges instead of Binance/Coinbase

-Don't talk about crypto

-Don't keep all your eggs in one basket. Keep separate wallets and never send between them

-When making exchanges, have another wallet for each interaction with another party. Only transact currency to that wallet though a tumbler, and never use that wallet again.

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All in all, an ounce of prevention is equal to a pound of cure. Stay vigilant, don't give out PII, and stay on the lookout for scams. It is not impossible to keep your crypto completely invisible, and you will be safer for it. Good luck and be safe!