What Is a Dust Attack?
A dust attack is a technique in which an attacker sends tiny, negligible amounts of cryptocurrency — called dust — to a large number of wallet addresses. The goal isn't to steal those small amounts; it's to track and analyze how the dust moves, in an attempt to link addresses together and ultimately deanonymize the people who own them.
"Dust" refers to amounts so small they're below what's usable or even noticeable — often a tiny fraction of a coin.
How Does a Dust Attack Work?
The attacker sends tiny amounts of crypto to many addresses.
They monitor the blockchain to see when and how the dust is spent.
If the dust is combined with other funds in a transaction, it can reveal links between addresses.
Through analysis, the attacker tries to connect multiple addresses to a single owner.
This information may be used for targeted phishing, scams, or other follow-up attacks.
Why Do Attackers Use Dust?
| Goal | Description |
|---|---|
| Deanonymization | Link multiple addresses to one identity |
| Targeting | Identify high-value wallets to attack |
| Phishing setup | Some dust tokens link to malicious sites |
| Surveillance | Track spending patterns |
How to Protect Yourself
Don't spend or move dust — leaving it untouched prevents it from linking your addresses.
Be cautious of unknown tokens that appear in your wallet; some are scam-related.
Avoid interacting with suspicious dust tokens or the sites they reference.
Use features that let you hide or ignore unrecognized small balances.
Is Dust Always an Attack?
Not necessarily. Tiny leftover amounts ("dust") can also result from normal trading and transactions. The concern is specifically unsolicited dust from unknown sources, which may be part of a tracking attempt — so treat unexpected small deposits with caution rather than alarm.
Dust Attacks and Trust Wallet
Trust Wallet is a non-custodial wallet where you control your own keys, and you can manage how you handle unrecognized tokens that appear in your wallet. If you receive unexpected dust, the safest approach is to leave it untouched and avoid interacting with unknown tokens or their linked sites. Staying alert to unsolicited deposits helps protect your privacy across 100+ blockchains.
