Episode 12: Bitcoin Privacy With k3tan (Ministry of Nodes) - KYC vs No KYC, Chain Analysis Heuristics, Samourai and Sparrow Wallet Coinjoin and Mixing Tools, and Network-level Privacy Considerations

The Australian Bitcoin Podcast is focused on Australian bitcoin and privacy content, including educational episodes, recent news, and guest interviews.  

Thanks to our guest:
https://twitter.com/_k3tan
https://twitter.com/ministryofnodes

Host: https://twitter.com/mission_bitcoin


Sponsored by HardBlock - Australia's first and oldest bitcoin-only exchange: https://www.hardblock.com.au

Notes
- k3tan's personal bitcoin journey
- Ministry of Nodes (helping clients hold their own keys, run their own node, and follow privacy best-practices)
- similarities between bitcoin distributed ledger and BitTorrent filesharing
- what is privacy?
- is bitcoin private by default?
- increased security through improved privacy
- data leaks (eg, Ledger, HubSpot)
- things to consider with bitcoin privacy: KYC vs no KYC, on-chain transactions, and network-level privacy
- KYC vs no KYC: pros and cons, and methods
- SatsSpend Australian Bitcoin Business list
- tips to improve bitcoin privacy: keep your mouth shut, don't reuse receiving addresses, and use UTXO management (eg, labeling and coin control/selection)
- what is a UTXO (unspent transaction output)?
- HardBlock's auto-send feature and not reusing receiving addresses
- Sparrow and Samourai Wallet for privacy features
- Whirlpool coinjoin mixing
- chain heuristics: address reuse, common input ownership, self-spends, round-number, largest output, change position, change vs spend address/script type, multi- vs single-signature)
- anti-fingerprinting features (change output position randomisation, and same-type spend and change outputs)
- BIP47 (PayNym) reusable static stealth addresses
- post-mix coinjoin spend tools (eg, Stonewall, Stonewall 2X, Stowaway, Ricochet)
- is Lightning Network private (eg, multiple hops through custodial services or BoltzExchange)?
- network-level privacy
- running your own node
- what is Tor?
- what is a VPN?
- using Tor and a VPN to improve privacy
- nodes to consider: RoninDojo, RaspiBlitz, MyNode, Umbrel, Citadel, Start9, or Ministry of Nodes custom multi-use build
- Australian ISP data logging and metadata retention
- planning for privacy is low time preference
- privacy is fundamental in the cypherpunk and bitcoin ethos
- using Australia Post parcel locker for bitcoin-related deliveries
- being bullish on bitcoin privacy
- attacks on bitcoin privacy and fungibility important to keep in mind and fight against
- self-hosting maximalism
- running a pfSense free and open source software (FOSS) router

References
https://www.ministryofnodes.com.au/
https://www.youtube.com/c/MinistryofNodes
https://github.com/Daunus/SatsSpend