Change Address Detection
Change address detection is the systematic identification of addresses that serve as return destinations for transaction funds. It is a critical task for blockchain forensic tools that aim to accurately reconstruct the flow of assets.
Without this capability, the volume of transactions would be significantly overestimated, as every change output would look like a transfer to a new party. Detectors use specific heuristics, such as comparing the amount sent to the output address with the total input amount, to isolate the change.
This process is essential for creating accurate visualizations of how funds move between entities. It is a fundamental requirement for anyone building on-chain analytics tools.
By automating this detection, analysts can focus on the meaningful transfers rather than the noise created by internal wallet management.