Cryptocurrency wallet attribution
How an address is linked to a real person, and why this is not always possible
Updated 3 August 2026 · 8 min read
The blockchain is public but not personalized: transfers between addresses are visible, not the names of their owners. Attribution is the work of linking an address to a real person through clustering, behavioral indicators and points of contact with regulated infrastructure
This material examines the mechanics of attribution and its limits: how addresses belonging to one owner are grouped, which indicators point to a service rather than a person, why exchanges and payment gateways become key points, and in which cases attribution remains a probabilistic hypothesis rather than an established fact
Who this material is for
- to victims of crypto fraud
- for lawyers in disputes involving digital assets
- compliance functions
What it covers
- address clustering
- owner behavioral indicators
- identification points within regulated environments
- limits on the reliability of attribution
- presenting results for legal action
Attribution is often probabilistic in nature and is stated with a level of confidence. No access to third-party wallets is carried out
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