Dusting Attack

Jun 2, 2026 | Updated Jun 2, 2026

A dusting attack is when a malicious actor sends tiny amounts of crypto in an attempt to correlate it to later spending behavior.

What Is a Dusting Attack?

A dusting attack is a blockchain-analysis tactic where attackers distribute minuscule fractions of a coin to a large number of addresses. These tiny remnants are known as dust because spending them typically costs more in transaction fees than they are worth.

While a dusting attack is not a direct attempt to steal your funds, it is a tool used for blockchain analysis. The goal is to correlate addresses and infer ownership relationships. On public blockchains, if an attacker can trace your dust as it is bundled with other funds, they may be able to cluster your addresses. If this data is combined with off-chain information, such as exchange KYC records, it could potentially contribute to uncovering your real-world identity.

How Does a Dusting Attack Work?

The attack is most commonly discussed in Bitcoin and other UTXO-based networks. Here is how the process typically unfolds:

Distribution: The attacker sends a tiny amount of crypto to your address.
Monitoring: The attacker monitors the blockchain for activity. Many wallets utilize coin selection algorithms that may automatically bundle several small UTXOs to cover a larger payment, meaning the dust might be included as an input for a future transaction.
Analysis: If the dust is moved along with your other funds, it creates a digital trail. This allows the attacker to perform cluster analysis, helping them determine which different addresses likely belong to the same user.
Targeting: If the attacker can correlate these addresses with high-value holdings or links to centralized services, they may use this information for targeted phishing, extortion, or other scams.

How to Stay Secure from Dusting Attacks

While it is not possible to avoid dusting transactions on public blockchains, you can remain safe by being careful and taking all the precautions. Some actions you can take to protect your assets include:

Ignore unsolicited small transactions sent to your wallet.
Hide dust tokens from your portfolio view to avoid accidentally interacting with them.
Do not interact with links or messages included in memo tags or unsolicited transactions.
Use a new receiving address for each transaction, especially for cryptocurrencies that support changing addresses.
Never share your 24-word recovery phrase with anyone (Ledger will never ask for it).
Stay vigilant when receiving unexpected transactions or messages.
Regularly monitor your accounts for any unauthorized activity.