Start with a specific transaction
Begin with the network, asset, transaction identifier and observation period. Check what actually occurred and its execution result. Correctly identifying the contract or other asset identifier is essential for tokens. Then select the addresses and records relevant to the question.
Set the period and depth explicitly. Extending a graph indefinitely does not improve accuracy: major services process transactions for many users. Explain why each further link relates to the task and which information justifies including it in the route.
The graph must explain actual records
Each material arrow needs a clear basis: a transaction, a set of records or a described analysis rule. Appendices list the corresponding identifiers, amounts and addresses. If multiple transactions are combined into one element, explain how.
Networks differ. A Bitcoin transaction may have several inputs and outputs; a smart contract interaction may involve multiple related token movements. One schematic arrow may therefore misrepresent the actual structure. Check the diagram alongside detailed data.
Mixed inflows require a calculation model
When assets from several sources reach one address, a later outflow cannot always be uniquely linked to one inflow. An analyst may use an allocation rule, but it forms part of the method and must be disclosed. It must not be presented as an additional blockchain record.
Explain which amounts come directly from records, which depend on the chosen model and how applying it changes the result. Similar amounts or close timing may help test a hypothesis but do not themselves confirm common control of addresses.
A service address and user account are different subjects
Public information may link an address to an exchange, exchange service or other infrastructure. Name and assess the attribution source. An analytics label is external information, not the owner’s name recorded on the blockchain. Check its content and currency.
Even a confirmed service link leaves the specific user unresolved. Internal credits, exchanges and transfers between accounts may exist only in the platform’s books. Further analysis needs service records or other materials linking the public transaction to the account under examination.
What a clearly stated limit means
Cross-chain transfers, commingling, closed records and concealment technologies may limit tracing. A sound examination shows where directly supported links end, what hypotheses follow and what data are missing. A gap must not be filled with an unlabelled assumption.
The practical result is a diagram and table explaining each material segment, with answers within the available data. This allows assessment of the established sequence and further checks needed. The route alone neither identifies a participant nor ensures asset recovery.
Start with the task
Describe the situation, materials available and question to be answered.