Chain-Analysis Claims vs Reality
A sober look at Chainalysis and CipherTrace claims, statistical probability vs certainty, and why user OPSEC is usually the real deanonymizer rather than broken cryptography.
#security
25 lessons with this tag.
The Privacy Adversary Model
Who attacks Monero privacy — chain observers, analysis firms, spy nodes, global network observers, KYC exchanges — and their goals, split into on-chain and network-layer adversaries.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
A consolidated checklist: verify the address, test small, back up first, set the restore height, keep a refund address, and beware scams.
I Sent to the Wrong Address or Amount
Why Monero is irreversible, wrong-address cases, exchange deposits and payment IDs, and using payment proofs — with honest expectations.
Spending Monero Privately & Safely
Preserving privacy when you spend — address reuse, checkout and shipping leaks, payment proofs for disputes, and avoiding scams.
Refunds, Records & Day-to-Day Operations
Handling refunds without chargebacks, reconciliation and record-keeping, payment proofs for disputes, and operational security.
Converting Monero & Managing Cash Flow
Turning XMR into fiat or other assets via exchanges or no-KYC swaps, treasury strategy, payout timing and hot/cold separation.
Security, Architecture & Production
Run it safely in production: hot/cold key separation, confirmations and reorgs, idempotency, monitoring, key management, and testing on stagenet first.
Multisig, the Janus Attack & the Burning Bug
M-of-N key aggregation and its rounds, plus two subtle failure modes every contributor must know — the Janus subaddress-linking attack and the burning bug — and their mitigations.
Choosing a Swap Service Safely
How to pick a trustworthy no-KYC swap, use aggregators and the Monerica directory, and spot fakes and surprise-KYC traps.
Hardware Wallets with Monero
How hardware wallets keep your keys offline, which ones work with Monero, and how they fit alongside a hardware node.
Inheritance Planning
Making sure your Monero isn't lost forever — passing it on without compromising security today.
Backups & Recovery
How to back up properly and confidently restore your wallet when you need to.
Phishing & Scams
The common scams targeting Monero users and how to never fall for them.
Passphrases & Extra Protection
Adding an optional passphrase for an extra layer, and the trade-offs to understand.
Securing Your Seed
Practical ways to back up and protect your 25-word seed against loss, theft and disaster.
The Self-Custody Mindset
Why 'not your keys, not your coins' is the foundation of holding Monero — and the responsibility it brings.
Hardware & Cold Storage
Keeping keys offline with hardware wallets and cold-storage workflows.
Multisig in Depth
How Monero multisig works, when to use it, and its trade-offs.
Dusting Attacks
What dusting is, why Monero resists it far better than transparent coins, and how to handle it.
OPSEC for Monero
Operational security habits for receiving, holding and spending XMR safely.
Avoiding Metadata Leaks
The subtle ways you can deanonymize yourself around an otherwise-private transaction.
Threat Modeling
Privacy isn't one-size-fits-all — define who you're protecting against before choosing tools.
Wallet Security Basics
The handful of habits that keep your Monero safe from day one.
Your Seed Phrase (25 Words)
What Monero's 25-word mnemonic is, how it backs up your whole wallet, and how to store it safely.