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Bitcoin privacy basics
Every payment is public. A few habits stop strangers, and companies, from piecing together what you own and spend.
The short version
- The Bitcoin ledger is public; your name isn't on it, but it can be linked.
- Use a fresh address for every payment you receive.
- Label your coins and choose which ones you spend.
Bitcoin addresses don't carry names, but exchanges know who you are, and anyone you pay can see where coins came from. Over time, links pile up.
Four habits
- New address every time. Good wallets do this for you.
- Label your coins by where they came from, and use coin control to avoid mixing coins from an exchange with private ones in one payment.
- Use your own node, so no server learns your addresses. How to run one.
- Spend small amounts over Lightning, which keeps everyday payments off the public ledger.
Protecting your financial privacy is legal in most countries. Follow the tax and reporting rules where you live.
Want to go deeper?
Can I buy bitcoin without giving ID?
In many places, yes, through person-to-person markets. They take more steps and more care. See the options on our where to buy page.
What is payjoin?
A way for the sender and receiver to both add coins to one payment, which breaks a common assumption that all inputs belong to the sender. Some wallets support it, including BULL Wallet and BTCPay Server.