<blockquote>
<p><strong>Is Bitcoin really anonymous?</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>No, most people describe it as pseudonymous.</p>
<p>When people say that, what they mean by Bitcoin is the tools, technology and network described by Satoshi Nakamoto in the original whitepaper where he described a system of electronic cash that did not rely on trusting third parties.</p>
<p>They usually don't mean the parasitic third-party businesses like Kraken that some people trust with their money.</p>
<p>Bitcoin itself can be relatively anonymous even when parasitic businesses choose not to be (or are forced by governments not to be).</p>
<p>If you feel these parasitic third-parties are exposing your identity more than you are comfortable with, don't use them.</p>
<p>Since the beginning of time, security and convenience work against one another. If you value something - privacy say - you have to invest hard work and money in achieving that and you have to sacrifice some or all convenience.</p>
<hr />
<p>Note that although I characterise third party exchanges as parasitic, this is mainly for rhetorical effect. They are parasitic but many of them do offer valuable services and provide the convenience that many of us seek. I don't think it right to use a more sympathetic adjective like symbiotic because I think the vision offered by Nakamoto was of a system of cash that could thrive without any <em>dependency</em> on trusted third parties.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-24T09:04:19.863Z
On more precision: Let's suppose i have a ledger physical wallet with 2 btc accounts (same passphrase for all the wallet accounts): Let's suppose my first account identity has been revealed by kraken. The second account is really anonymous (mine by my self for example). Is there a way to reveal the second account identity from the first ? Thanks
Bob5421
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-24T09:16:17.170Z
@Bob5421: If the two accounts have distinct seeds, follow BIP32, dont reuse addresses and you don't move funds between them -- then it would be very difficult for others to infer any relationship between them. But this more specific question should be asked as a new question (after searching here to see if it already exists with good answers)
RedGrittyBrick
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-24T11:53:35.460Z
Thanks, but just to clarify, the 2 accounts have the same seeds on a ledger device ?
Bob5421
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-23T11:39:34.530Z
2020-08-23T11:47:11.293Z
2020-08-23T11:47:11.293Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>No, it's not. You can create anonymous wallet, but then the problem to get Bitcoin and not to associate your identity with this coins. If you will use part of them to pay you bill/service where it's possible to find your ID, the game is over. All other transactions from the same wallet possible to associate with you ID.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-23T14:17:54.790Z
2020-08-23T14:17:54.790Z
Bookmarks
<p>Let’s suppose i buy some bitcoin on an exchange platform (kraken for example).</p>
<p>This platform Ask me some informations (id card).</p>
<p>Now, if i transfer all my bitcoins to a physical wallet, then to another one wallet: is there a way for the platform owner to say: i Know The identity of this wallet owner.</p>
<p>Please note i do not want to do something nasty. It is just for understanding.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-22T13:20:06.480Z
Thanks, what should i do to be anonymous ?
Bob5421
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-22T14:37:04.403Z
Does this answer your question? [How anonymous are Bitcoin transactions?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/52/how-anonymous-are-bitcoin-transactions) - or any of [the answers to these 166 questions on the subject](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/search?q=anonymous+is%3Aq)?
RedGrittyBrick
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-22T15:29:39.627Z
Does [How can one remain relatively anonymous while using bitcoin?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/439/5406) answer your question?
Murch
<privacy>
Is bitcoin really anonymous?
Bob5421
# Is bitcoin really anonymous?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-22)

Let’s suppose i buy some bitcoin on an exchange platform (kraken for example).

This platform Ask me some informations (id card).

Now, if i transfer all my bitcoins to a physical wallet, then to another one wallet: is there a way for the platform owner to say: i Know The identity of this wallet owner.

Please note i do not want to do something nasty. It is just for understanding.

Thanks

**Tags:** privacy

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks, what should i do to be anonymous ?  
> **username_1**: Does this answer your question? [How anonymous are Bitcoin transactions?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/52/how-anonymous-are-bitcoin-transactions) - or any of [the answers to these 166 questions on the subject](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/search?q=anonymous+is%3Aq)?  
> **username_2**: Does [How can one remain relatively anonymous while using bitcoin?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/439/5406) answer your question?  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-23. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

> **Is Bitcoin really anonymous?**

No, most people describe it as pseudonymous.

When people say that, what they mean by Bitcoin is the tools, technology and network described by Satoshi Nakamoto in the original whitepaper where he described a system of electronic cash that did not rely on trusting third parties.

They usually don't mean the parasitic third-party businesses like Kraken that some people trust with their money.

Bitcoin itself can be relatively anonymous even when parasitic businesses choose not to be (or are forced by governments not to be).

If you feel these parasitic third-parties are exposing your identity more than you are comfortable with, don't use them.

Since the beginning of time, security and convenience work against one another. If you value something - privacy say - you have to invest hard work and money in achieving that and you have to sacrifice some or all convenience.

---

Note that although I characterise third party exchanges as parasitic, this is mainly for rhetorical effect. They are parasitic but many of them do offer valuable services and provide the convenience that many of us seek. I don't think it right to use a more sympathetic adjective like symbiotic because I think the vision offered by Nakamoto was of a system of cash that could thrive without any *dependency* on trusted third parties.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: On more precision: Let's suppose i have a ledger physical wallet with 2 btc accounts (same passphrase for all the wallet accounts): Let's suppose my first account identity has been revealed by kraken. The second account is really anonymous (mine by my self for example). Is there a way to reveal the second account identity from the first ? Thanks  
> **username_1**: @username_0: If the two accounts have distinct seeds, follow BIP32, dont reuse addresses and you don't move funds between them -- then it would be very difficult for others to infer any relationship between them. But this more specific question should be asked as a new question (after searching here to see if it already exists with good answers)  
> **username_0**: Thanks, but just to clarify, the 2 accounts have the same seeds on a ledger device ?  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-08-23. Score: 0

No, it's not. You can create anonymous wallet, but then the problem to get Bitcoin and not to associate your identity with this coins. If you will use part of them to pay you bill/service where it's possible to find your ID, the game is over. All other transactions from the same wallet possible to associate with you ID.


---

