Recommended Reading: Users Praise New Bitcoin Wiki Article on Privacy

One striking feature of Blecher’s article is its holistic and objective perspective. In the introduction, he writes:

As of 2019 most casual enthusiasts of bitcoin believe it is perfectly traceable; this is completely false. Around 2011, most causal enthusiasts believed it is total private; which is also false.

Instead of praising the privacy features of Bitcoin (BTC) or focusing only on their failures, Belcher notes that a user’s privacy or traceability depends largely on what measures have been taken by the individual user. Bitcoin is not inherently private, but a user’s traceability can be minimized by using several easy tools and techniques — which Belcher discusses.

For the last few weeks I've been working on a literature review for bitcoin privacy: https://t.co/hmDf0JT8Ky It aims to cover about all privacy issues in bitcoin, including Lightning network, and has a bunch of examples to help demonstrate how the concepts work in practice.

— belcherrrrr (@chris_belcher_) February 23, 2019

On and Off the Blockchain

Belcher notes that there are blockchain and non-blockchain-based threats to privacy using Bitcoin. Furthermore, improving privacy requires using methods both on and off the blockchain. Topics like the Lightning Network and other existing privacy solutions are given a large amount of attention. However, most attention is paid to real-world examples and case studies. Blecher lists 35. Lastly, despite the length of the text, Belcher also includes a brief summary. There he discusses several simple ways in which a user can increase their privacy. [bctt tweet=”Bitcoin is not inherently private, but a user’s traceability can be minimized by using several easy tools and techniques” username=”beincrypto”]

Using the Article

There are at least two uses for this text.

1. The first is to offer a detailed text for a thorough understanding of privacy as it relates to bitcoin.
2. The second is to offer brief and concise advice for increasing privacy in ordinary language.

Thus, the manual offers resources for both the long-term Bitcoin maximalist and the cryptocurrency newcomer. Beyond privacy, what topics do you think are most relevant to the Bitcoin and blockchain community? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!