Cluster

A set of addresses attributed, through clustering, to a single controller. A cluster may represent an individual, a criminal group or a service. Grouping addresses and identifying their controller are separate steps: a cluster may remain unidentified until additional evidence, such as service records, test deposits or open-source information, supports attribution.

Service clusters, such as those belonging to an exchange, may contain millions of addresses, most of them deposit addresses assigned to different customers. Membership of a service cluster therefore identifies the service, not the individual customer, and may also encompass activity conducted through nested services. Cluster boundaries depend on the heuristics and data used: different tools may produce different clusters, while errors can cause unrelated addresses to be merged or addresses controlled by the same entity to remain separate (see Address clustering).