Chainalysis proposes common standards for blockchain tracing
Chainalysis has published a proposed framework for evaluating wallet clusters and the evidence used in blockchain investigations. The company hopes the initiative will encourage common industry standards and greater scrutiny of tracing methods.
What happened?
Chainalysis has published a proposed framework for evaluating wallet clusters and the evidence used in blockchain investigations. The company hopes the initiative will encourage common industry standards and greater scrutiny of tracing methods.
Why it matters
Chainalysis has proposed a standardized framework for blockchain tracing, setting out how investigators can group crypto addresses and assess whether they are controlled by the same entity. The blockchain analytics company published the ontology on Monday as a starting point for broader industry discussion.
Chainalysis has proposed a standardized framework for blockchain tracing, setting out how investigators can group crypto addresses and assess whether they are controlled by the same entity. The blockchain analytics company published the ontology on Monday as a starting point for broader industry discussion.
The proposal matters because blockchain investigations often depend on specialized tools whose methods can be difficult to evaluate. Common definitions and confidence measures could help law enforcement officials, prosecutors and other users understand what onchain data supports—and where its limits remain.
The framework separates wallet clustering into component parts, including wallet segments that may serve as deposit, change or other types of addresses. It also uses a two-tier structure: one tier defines relationships between addresses, while the second evaluates confidence in those relationships.
Chainalysis said its experience in the U.S. prosecution of Bitcoin Fog co-founder Roman Sterlingov helped shape the proposal. Sterlingov was convicted on money-laundering charges in 2024, and the judge in that case found substantial evidence supporting the reliability of Chainalysis' Reactor software after reviewing whether it met the required evidentiary standard.
The company also stressed that tracing funds does not necessarily identify an individual user. Analytics may connect funds to an exchange or another wallet operator, but investigators could still need additional records, such as information obtained through a subpoena, to determine the customer involved. Chainalysis said independent scrutiny and testing will be important as the industry considers the proposed standards.