{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7151417824","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3681801","title":"Analyzing Economic and Topological Patterns in Mixer Activities: Insights From a Case Study","display_name":"Analyzing Economic and Topological Patterns in Mixer Activities: Insights From a Case Study","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7151417824","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3681801"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2026.3681801","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3681801","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2485537415","display_name":"IEEE Access","issn_l":"2169-3536","issn":["2169-3536"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","doaj"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3681801","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5067556242","display_name":"Francesco Zola","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1733-5515"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210092551","display_name":"Vicomtech","ror":"https://ror.org/0023sah13","country_code":"ES","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210092551"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210157916","display_name":"Tech Foundation","ror":"https://ror.org/04vfkg585","country_code":"US","type":"nonprofit","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210157916"]}],"countries":["ES","US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Francesco Zola","raw_affiliation_strings":["Digital Security Department, Vicomtech Foundation, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia, Spain"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1733-5515","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Digital Security Department, Vicomtech Foundation, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia, Spain","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210092551","https://openalex.org/I4210157916"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5114386403","display_name":"Jon Ander Medina","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1107-0617"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210092551","display_name":"Vicomtech","ror":"https://ror.org/0023sah13","country_code":"ES","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210092551"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210157916","display_name":"Tech Foundation","ror":"https://ror.org/04vfkg585","country_code":"US","type":"nonprofit","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210157916"]}],"countries":["ES","US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jon Ander Medina","raw_affiliation_strings":["Digital Security Department, Vicomtech Foundation, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia, Spain"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Digital Security Department, Vicomtech Foundation, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia, Spain","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210092551","https://openalex.org/I4210157916"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Andrea Venturi","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3822-968X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210092551","display_name":"Vicomtech","ror":"https://ror.org/0023sah13","country_code":"ES","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210092551"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210157916","display_name":"Tech Foundation","ror":"https://ror.org/04vfkg585","country_code":"US","type":"nonprofit","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210157916"]}],"countries":["ES","US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Andrea Venturi","raw_affiliation_strings":["Digital Security Department, Vicomtech Foundation, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia, Spain"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3822-968X","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Digital Security Department, Vicomtech Foundation, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia, Spain","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210092551","https://openalex.org/I4210157916"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5070071832","display_name":"Ra\u00fal Orduna","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210092551","display_name":"Vicomtech","ror":"https://ror.org/0023sah13","country_code":"ES","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210092551"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210157916","display_name":"Tech Foundation","ror":"https://ror.org/04vfkg585","country_code":"US","type":"nonprofit","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210157916"]}],"countries":["ES","US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Raul Orduna","raw_affiliation_strings":["Digital Security Department, Vicomtech Foundation, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia, Spain"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Digital Security Department, Vicomtech Foundation, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia, Spain","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210092551","https://openalex.org/I4210157916"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":4,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":{"value":1850,"currency":"USD","value_usd":1850},"apc_paid":{"value":1850,"currency":"USD","value_usd":1850},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.51052351,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"14","issue":null,"first_page":"56188","last_page":"56201"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10003","display_name":"Innovation and Knowledge Management","score":0.022099999710917473,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1408","display_name":"Strategy and Management"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10003","display_name":"Innovation and Knowledge Management","score":0.022099999710917473,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1408","display_name":"Strategy and Management"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11270","display_name":"Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis","score":0.01549999974668026,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2002","display_name":"Economics and Econometrics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/20","display_name":"Economics, Econometrics and Finance"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11729","display_name":"Product Development and Customization","score":0.015300000086426735,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1405","display_name":"Management of Technology and Innovation"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/topology","display_name":"Topology (electrical circuits)","score":0.4562999904155731},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/network-topology","display_name":"Network topology","score":0.2766000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/electronic-mail","display_name":"Electronic mail","score":0.26179999113082886},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/data-modeling","display_name":"Data modeling","score":0.25119999051094055}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6194999814033508},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C184720557","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7825049","display_name":"Topology (electrical circuits)","level":2,"score":0.4562999904155731},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.2773999869823456},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199845137","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q145490","display_name":"Network topology","level":2,"score":0.2766000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3020028006","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9158","display_name":"Electronic mail","level":2,"score":0.26179999113082886},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C67186912","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q367664","display_name":"Data modeling","level":2,"score":0.25119999051094055},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.2451000064611435},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C76155785","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q418","display_name":"Telecommunications","level":1,"score":0.21780000627040863},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C104267543","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q208163","display_name":"Signal processing","level":3,"score":0.21060000360012054},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120314980","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180634","display_name":"Distributed computing","level":1,"score":0.20720000565052032}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2026.3681801","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3681801","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2485537415","display_name":"IEEE Access","issn_l":"2169-3536","issn":["2169-3536"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:doaj.org/article:dc511a45d9124df3b87d761ca5131627","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doaj.org/article/dc511a45d9124df3b87d761ca5131627","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401280","display_name":"DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by-sa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-sa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access, Vol 14, Pp 56188-56201 (2026)","raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2026.3681801","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3681801","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2485537415","display_name":"IEEE Access","issn_l":"2169-3536","issn":["2169-3536"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G3771002347","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"101168562","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320320300","funder_display_name":"European Commission"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G8421091417","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"101168360","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320320300","funder_display_name":"European Commission"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320320300","display_name":"European Commission","ror":"https://ror.org/00k4n6c32"}],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Several":[0],"studies":[1],"and":[2,45,87,103,125,138,228,246],"tools":[3],"have":[4],"shown":[5],"that":[6,182],"cryptocurrency":[7],"anonymity":[8,44],"can":[9],"be":[10],"reduced,":[11],"enhancing":[12],"the":[13,16,52,64,67,113,134,151,157,203],"traceability":[14],"of":[15,66,99,111,120,253],"on-chain":[17],"funds.":[18,68],"In":[19],"response,":[20],"criminals":[21],"employ":[22],"obfuscation":[23],"techniques":[24,50],"to":[25,42,62,79,142,165,224,236],"maintain":[26],"their":[27,84],"privacy,":[28],"with":[29,179,196],"<italic":[30,88,152,168,211,243],"xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"":[31,89,153,169,212,244],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">Mixers</i>":[32],"posing":[33],"significant":[34],"challenges":[35],"as":[36],"they":[37],"leverage":[38],"advanced":[39],"cryptographic":[40],"primitives":[41],"increase":[43],"secure":[46],"transaction":[47],"details.":[48],"These":[49],"obscure":[51],"fund-blending":[53],"mechanisms":[54],"within":[55,156],"mixers,":[56],"making":[57],"it":[58],"difficult":[59],"for":[60,240],"investigators":[61,223],"trace":[63],"flow":[65],"Recognising":[69],"these":[70],"challenges,":[71],"this":[72,233],"paper":[73],"introduces":[74],"a":[75,96,176,190,230],"systematic":[76],"graph-based":[77],"approach":[78,146],"analyse":[80],"mixer":[81,114,123,155,198,219],"activities,":[82],"characterising":[83],"different":[85],"procedures":[86],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">Modus":[90],"Operandi":[91],"(MO)</i>.":[92],"The":[93],"methodology":[94,234],"uses":[95],"modified":[97],"version":[98],"2-step":[100],"address-transaction":[101],"graphs":[102,137,227],"focuses":[104],"on":[105],"three":[106,161],"phases:":[107],"1)":[108],"economic":[109],"analysis":[110,119],"how":[112],"receives/sends":[115],"money;":[116],"2)":[117],"intra-graph":[118],"relationships":[121],"between":[122],"addresses;":[124],"3)":[126],"inter-graph":[127],"community":[128],"analysis,":[129],"extracting":[130],"communities":[131,205],"from":[132],"all":[133],"mixers\u2019":[135],"activity":[136],"clustering":[139],"them":[140],"according":[141],"topological":[143],"similarities.":[144],"This":[145],"is":[147],"validated":[148],"by":[149],"analysing":[150],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">Blender.io</i>":[154],"Bitcoin":[158],"blockchain,":[159],"revealing":[160],"main":[162],"aspects":[163,252],"relevant":[164,180],"defining":[166,241],"its":[167],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">MO</i>.":[170],"Firstly,":[171],"funds":[172],"are":[173,194,214],"aggregated":[174],"into":[175],"single":[177],"address,":[178],"siblings":[181],"receive":[183],"larger":[184],"amounts.":[185],"Then,":[186],"common":[187],"patterns":[188],"suggesting":[189],"peeling":[191],"chain":[192],"structure":[193],"detected,":[195],"multiple":[197],"addresses":[199],"linked":[200],"together.":[201],"Finally,":[202],"clustered":[204],"reveal":[206],"well-established":[207],"structures":[208],"in":[209,218],"which":[210],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">Exchanges</i>":[213],"key":[215],"entities":[216],"involved":[217],"activities.":[220,255],"By":[221],"enabling":[222],"manage":[225],"limited":[226],"leveraging":[229],"visualisation":[231],"approach,":[232],"aims":[235],"provide":[237],"actionable":[238],"insights":[239],"criminal":[242,254],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">MO</i>":[245],"targeting":[247],"enforcement":[248],"efforts":[249],"at":[250],"specific":[251]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-06-11T09:08:48.828518","created_date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00"}