Attribution
Can a Bitcoin wallet be linked to an individual?
Attribution is the most misunderstood part of blockchain investigation, and the part where overstatement does the most damage.
5 min read
A Bitcoin address is not an identity. It is a destination. Linking one to a person is an evidential exercise, not a technical lookup.
Where attribution comes from
Attribution is usually built from several weaker signals rather than one decisive fact: address clustering that indicates common control, interaction with services that perform identity checks, behavioural and timing patterns, and information from outside the blockchain such as correspondence, devices or disclosure.
Why confidence levels matter
An attribution presented as certain, when it is in fact inferred, is the fastest way to undermine an otherwise sound investigation.
Evident grades each attribution and sets out the reasoning behind it, so that its weight can be assessed and, if necessary, challenged.
This article is general information and does not constitute legal advice. Evident is an investigations and intelligence business, not a law firm.