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Wasabi Wallet? Yeah, it's pretty damn secure for Bitcoin privacy if you use it right. But effective? Kinda depends on you following through with CoinJoin and not screwing up the basics. I've been messing with it for years, and honestly, it's one of the best non custodial ways to hide your BTC tracks without trusting some shady mixer.
The big hook is CoinJoin - that's where your coins get mixed with a bunch of other people's in these huge anonymous pools. Blockchain explorers can't easily tell which output is yours anymore. Why does this matter? Because every BTC address you touch gets linked to you forever otherwise. Sound familiar? Like that time you sent from an exchange and now Chainalysis has your ass?
Okay, first things first. Head to wasabiwallet.io. Pick your OS - Windows, Mac, Linux, whatever. Download the installer. But wait, don't be lazy. Verify that PGP signature. I usually do this every time because malware loves pretending to be wallets.
Here's how:
gpg --verify WasabiWallet.exe.asc WasabiWallet.exe. Should say "Good signature" from zkSNACKs or whoever signs it now.In my experience, skipping this is how noobs get phished. Takes 2 minutes. Worth it?
Fire it up. "Get Started." Create new wallet. Name it something smart, like "PrivacyStash" so you don't mix it with your exchange junk.
Now the scary part - 12 recovery words pop up. Write 'em down on paper. Not your phone, not digital. Passphrase too if you want extra security (it's optional but I always use one - like a 20-char password only you know).
Pro tip: Test recovery on a spare computer with tiny BTC first. Lost words? Gone forever. Happened to a buddy once. Sucked.
Got a Coldcard or Trezor? Connect it. Power on, enter PIN. In Wasabi, "Add Wallet" > "Connect Hardware." Plug in USB, enable hardware in settings if needed. It'll detect it. Air gapped signing? Chef's kiss for security.
Click "Receive." Label it - super. Like "Mom's gift" or "Freelance gig." Why? Wasabi tracks who knows what address, helps later with privacy scores.
Pick address type: Taproot for more privacy (starts with bc1p). Copy it. Send from your exchange or wherever. Once confirmed, it hides the used address automatically. Smart, right?
Issue alert: Don't reuse addresses. Wasabi hides 'em, but if you force it, privacy tanks. Always label accurately - no "random" bullshit.
This is why you're here. Unmixed coins? Red flags everywhere. CoinJoined? They're private as hell.
Your coins show with privacy levels - 1-100+. Aim for 70+ before spending. How?
What's a coordinator? It's the server running the mix - check docs.wasabiwallet.io for current ones like wabisabi.labs.cryptosaurus.io. Pick one active. If it fails? Wrong coordinator or no liquidity. Switch and retry.
In my experience, mornings UTC have better liquidity. Can take hours or days for big amounts. Patient? Good privacy. Rushed? Half assed results.
Got mixed coins? Sweet. "Send" top right. Paste destination, amount (or max). Label the receiver - "Coffee shop" or whatever.
Preview: Check it picks private coins. Confirm, passphrase, send. Broadcasted. Fees auto, but you can tweak - say 5-10 sat/vB for speed.
Private send flow:
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Address + Amount | Enter deets |
| 2. Label Receiver | Privacy helper |
| 3. Preview | Verify coins selected |
| 4. Passphrase | Sign & broadcast |
But if no private coins? It warns you. Mix first, dummy. Change output? Wasabi minimizes it, but label properly to avoid leaks.
Three tabs: General, CoinJoin, Bitcoin.
General: Dark mode? Run on startup? Discrete mode hides balance - clutch in public.
CoinJoin: Auto start on? Min denom 0.1 BTC? Strategy "Conservative" for newbs. Send to separate wallet? Yes, if paranoid.
Bitcoin: Mainnet (not testnet). Node if you run one - Tor for extra privacy.
I usually set CoinJoin to aggressive for quick mixes, but watch fees. And enable Tor in settings - free VPN basically.
Problem: CoinJoin stuck. Fix: Check coordinator (find fresh ones in docs). Update filters - Tools > Download Blockchain Filters.
No coins showing? Syncing. Wait or use electrum server.
High fees? Lower target or wait low memepool times.
Restore fail? Wrong passphrase or word order. Double check paper.
Privacy score low after mix? You spent change wrong. Label everything next time.
Wasabi's desktop. For mobile, pair with something like Specter, but that's advanced. Stick to desktop for real privacy.
Multiple wallets. One for receiving dirty coins, one clean for spending. CoinJoin from dirty to clean.
Labels obsessively. Wasabi scores clusters based on this - higher score, harder to trace.
Update regularly. New versions fix coordinators, bugs. Verify sigs again.
Hardware + Wasabi: Export XPUB from Coldcard, import to Wasabi for watch only. Sign tx on device. Air gapped godmode.
Numbers game: CoinJoin fees cumulative, say 0.3% total for good anon set. Gas? Nah, BTC fees only - 1-5k sats typical now.
Yeah, if you don't leak via KYC buys. Exchanges delist Wasabi mixed? Sometimes, but peels work around. Effective against what? Chain analysis firms - mostly. Governments? If they subpoena coordinator, maybe not 100%. But way better than plain BTC.
I've sent thousands through it. Never linked back. Thing is, privacy's a habit. Use it wrong once, undoes weeks of mixing.
| Wallet | Privacy | Fees | Easy? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wasabi | CoinJoin auto | Low, 0.003%/round | Beginner ok |
| Samourai | Whirlpool | Similar | Mobile |
| Plain Electrum | Meh | Network only | Fast |
Wasabi wins for desktop CoinJoin simplicity. Mobile fan? Look elsewhere.
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