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131 sats \ 0 replies \ @hasherstacker 26 Jul \ on: Does lightning or coinjoin give better privacy? AskSN Coinjoins

Bitcoin Privacy Technologies Comparison

FeatureCoinJoinSilent PaymentsLightning Blinded Paths
LayerBitcoin On-ChainBitcoin On-ChainLightning Network (Layer 2)
Primary PurposeHide links between transaction inputs and outputsHide the recipient's payment addressHide the recipient's Lightning node and payment route
Privacy FocusCoin ownership and transaction historyRecipient identity and address privacyRecipient identity and network topology
Address ReuseDoes not prevent address reuseEliminates address reuse automaticallyNot applicable (uses Lightning invoices/offers with blinded paths)
User CoordinationRequires multiple participantsNo coordination requiredNo special coordination beyond a standard Lightning payment
Transaction AppearanceMulti-party Bitcoin transactionLooks like a normal Bitcoin transactionLooks like a normal Lightning payment
Blockchain AnalysisMakes ownership analysis much harderMakes recipient identification much harderNot applicable (payments are off-chain)
Network PrivacyNoNoYes, conceals the destination node and parts of the payment route
Best Use CaseSpending privately on-chainReceiving privately on-chainReceiving Lightning payments privately

24579How They Complement Each Other

These technologies enhance privacy at different stages of using Bitcoin:

  • Silent Payments → Private on-chain receiving
  • Coinjoin → Private on-chain spending
  • Lightning Blinded Paths → Private off-chain receiving

Together they provide a more complete Bitcoin privacy toolkit:

ActivityRecommended Technology
Receive bitcoin on-chainSilent Payments
Spend bitcoin on-chainCoinJoin
Receive bitcoin over LightningLightning Blinded Paths
Key takeaway: These are complementary technologies—not competitors. Each protects a different aspect of privacy while preserving the original decentralized design.33579
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