Deanonymization of Coin Mixing Services

Mixing services promise to hide connections between inputs and outputs. But some techniques allow analysts to identify inputs and outputs that belong to the same user.

Time

Usually, mixing service users want their coins back quickly. Services offer return times between zero and 72 hours. The shorter the return time is, the smaller is the anonymity set.

Amount

The amount is another way to attribute outputs to certain inputs. In the worst case, the output equals the input. Here, analysts have only to look for transactions within a typical return time window with the same output value as the input transaction.

Usually, mixing services impose a fee that is randomly chosen between 0 and 3 %. While this makes it a bit harder to find the corresponding output transaction, it is still possible. Analysts have to look for transactions in the return time window with an output value in the range of input value and input value – max fee.