<p>No, it's not necessary to disclose the identity. As Pieter commented below, "<code>foundBy</code> is a feature of blockchain.info, a privately operated website, which gives a guess about the creator of a block. It is by no means something that's part of the protocol". </p>

<p>If you look at the receiving <a href="https://blockchain.info/de/address/1DrK44np3gMKuvcGeFVv9Jk67zodP52eMu" rel="nofollow noreferrer">address</a> of the block's coinbase, you'll see that BitFury sends all their block rewards to that address, so that's probably how blockchain.info arrived at their conclusion.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-05T14:22:11.737Z
To answer the asked question: foundBy is a feature of blockchain.info, a privately operated website, which gives a guess about the creator of a block. It is by no means something that's part of the protocol.
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-05T10:54:42.797Z
2017-01-05T23:18:07.490Z
2017-01-05T23:18:07.490Z
Murch
<p>I started playing with the <a href="https://blockchain.info/api/api_websocket" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Blockchain real-time API</a> and noticed that when new blocks were created, they often (systematically?) included a <code>foundBy</code> field. For instance, block with height <a href="https://blockchain.info/block/00000000000000000040192da1a87b61cfd6a74221304cd1e73ea30b9ca8303f" rel="nofollow noreferrer">446731</a> (index 1442483) has the following <code>foundBy</code> information:</p>

<pre><code>{
    "ip": "0.0.0.0",
    "link": "http://bitfury.com/",
    "description": "BitFury", 
    "time": 1483612060
}
</code></pre>

<p>I have never mined bitcoins; do all miners have to disclose their identity? Obviously, the identity of the miner of block with height 0 is unknown. Is the <code>foundBy</code> field a new feature of recently-mined blocks?</p>

<miner-configuration><identity>
In which circumstances is the identity of a miner known?
Régis B.
# In which circumstances is the identity of a miner known?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-05)

I started playing with the [Blockchain real-time API](https://blockchain.info/api/api_websocket) and noticed that when new blocks were created, they often (systematically?) included a `foundBy` field. For instance, block with height [446731](https://blockchain.info/block/00000000000000000040192da1a87b61cfd6a74221304cd1e73ea30b9ca8303f) (index 1442483) has the following `foundBy` information:

```
{
    "ip": "0.0.0.0",
    "link": "http://bitfury.com/",
    "description": "BitFury", 
    "time": 1483612060
}

```

I have never mined bitcoins; do all miners have to disclose their identity? Obviously, the identity of the miner of block with height 0 is unknown. Is the `foundBy` field a new feature of recently-mined blocks?

**Tags:** miner-configuration, identity


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-01-05. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

No, it's not necessary to disclose the identity. As username_2 commented below, "`foundBy` is a feature of blockchain.info, a privately operated website, which gives a guess about the creator of a block. It is by no means something that's part of the protocol".

If you look at the receiving [address](https://blockchain.info/de/address/1DrK44np3gMKuvcGeFVv9Jk67zodP52eMu) of the block's coinbase, you'll see that BitFury sends all their block rewards to that address, so that's probably how blockchain.info arrived at their conclusion.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: To answer the asked question: foundBy is a feature of blockchain.info, a privately operated website, which gives a guess about the creator of a block. It is by no means something that's part of the protocol.  

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