Entity Taxonomy

Version 0.2.1
Last Modified: 2022-01-27
Creator: INTERPOL Darknet and Cryptocurrencies Working Group

Description

This taxonomy defines entities that represent real-world actors and service that are part of a larger Darknet- and Cryptoasset Ecosystems.

Concept Index

Entity | Organization | User | Digital Item | Service | Victim | Perpetrator | Donation | Exchange | Wallet Service | Escrow Wallet | ICO Wallet | Cold Wallet | File Sharing | Index | Market | Messaging Service | Mixing Service | CoinJoin | Miner | Mining as a Service | Gambling Service | Search Engine | Shop | Faucet | Payment Processor | Cryptoasset ATM | Hosting Service Provider | VPN Service Provider | DeFi Protocol | Lending Protocol | Decentralized Exchange (DEX) | Derivative | Collectible

Concept Definitions


Label
Entity
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#entity
Description
An actor is anything playing an active role in Darknets or Cryptoasset ecosystems. This subsumes individuals and organizations as well as automated services fulfilling a certain function in such environments.
Narrower Concepts
Organization | User | Service | Item

Label
Organization
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#organization
Description
An organization represents some social institution, such as public services or companies.
Broader Concepts
Entity

Label
User
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#user
Description
A user is a person who utilizes Darknet or Cryptoasset infrastructures and / or offered services.
Narrower Concepts
User | Perpetrator | Donation
Broader Concepts
Entity

Label
Digital Item
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#item
Description
An intangible asset or piece of media that doesn't have physical form or substance and can be sold or shared online.
Narrower Concepts
Collectible

Label
Service
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#service
Description
A service refers to some software functionality or a set of software functionalities that can be used by different actors for difffent purposes.
Narrower Concepts
Exchange | Filesharing | Index | Market | Messaging_service | Mixing_service | Search_engine | Shop
Broader Concepts
Entity

Label
Victim
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#victim
Description
Someone or something that has been hurt, damaged, or killed or has suffered, either because of the actions of someone or something else, or because of illness or chance.
See also
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/victim
Broader Concepts
User

Label
Perpetrator
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#perpetrator
Description
Someone who has committed a crime or a violent or harmful act.
See also
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/perpetrator
Broader Concepts
User

Label
Donation
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#donation
Description
Someone or something receiving donations in cryptoassets.
Broader Concepts
User

Label
Exchange
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#exchange
Description
A centralized cryptocurrency exchange (CEX) is a business that allows customers to trade cryptocurrencies or digital currencies for other assets, such as conventional fiat money or other digital currencies.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency_exchange
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Wallet Service
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#wallet_service
Description
A wallet service is a software or web service that custodizes and utilizes cryptoasset keys on behalf of their users.
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Escrow Wallet
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#escrow_wallet
Description
An escrow service is a mediator service that keeps the money for a transaction in safekeeping until the coins are handed over.
See also
https://99bitcoins.com/bitcoin/escrow/
Broader Concepts
Wallet_service

Label
ICO Wallet
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#ico_wallet
Description
A wallet that has been used for Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs).
Broader Concepts
Wallet_service

Label
Cold Wallet
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#cold_wallet
Description
A wallet that is not connected to the Internet and controlled by some user.
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
File Sharing
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#filesharing
Description
A file sharing service provides access to digital media, such as computer programs, multimedia (audio, images and video), documents or electronic books.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_sharing
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Index
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#index
Description
An index refers the contents of other websites in the Dark- or Clearnet.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_indexing
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Market
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#market
Description
A market, or marketplace, is an online location where users purchase and sale legitimate or illegitimate goods and services.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketplace
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Messaging Service
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#messaging_service
Description
A messaging service is a type of online chat that offers real-time transmission of messages over the Internet.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_messaging
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Mixing Service
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#mixing_service
Description
A tumbler or mixing service is a service offered to mix potentially identifiable or 'tainted' cryptoasset funds with others, so as to obscure the trail back to the fund's original source. Tumblers have arisen to improve the anonymity of cryptocurrencies, usually bitcoin (hence Bitcoin mixer), since the currencies provide a public ledger of all transactions.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency_tumbler
Narrower Concepts
Coinjoin
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
CoinJoin
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#coinjoin
Description
CoinJoin is an anonymization strategy that protects the privacy of Bitcoin users when they conduct transactions with each other, obscuring the sources and destinations of BTC used in transactions.
See also
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/coinjoin.asp
Broader Concepts
Mixing_service

Label
Miner
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#miner
Description
A service that processes and verifies transactions for various forms of cryptoassets and creates blocks to be added to the blockchain digital ledger.
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Mining as a Service
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#mining_service
Description
A software and computing infrastructure that allows mining of cryptoassets in the cloud
Broader Concepts
Miner

Label
Gambling Service
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#gambling
Description
A gambling service support the wagering of money or something of value (e.g., tokens) on an event with an uncertain outcome, with the primary intent of winning money or material goods.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambling
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Search Engine
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#search_engine
Description
A web search engine or Internet search engine is a software system that is designed to carry out web search (Internet search), which means to search the World Wide Web in a systematic way for particular information specified in a textual web search query. The search results are generally presented in a line of results, often referred to as search engine results pages (SERPs). The information may be a mix of links to web pages, images, videos, infographics, articles, research papers, and other types of files.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_search_engine
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Shop
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#shop
Description
A shop allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_shopping
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Faucet
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#faucet
Description
A faucet can be defined as a reward system from which small amounts of coins can be rewarded
See also
https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-a-crypto-faucet
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Payment Processor
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#payment_processor
Description
A platform for online transactions that serves as a gateway and helps companies accept payments in cryptocurrencies
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Cryptoasset ATM
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#atm
Description
A physical kiosk that allows users to exchange cryptoassets and fiat currencies.
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Hosting Service Provider
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#hosting
Description
A hosting service provider (HSP) is an IT service company or partner that provides remote IT resources and/or services
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
VPN Service Provider
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#vpn
Description
A virtual private network (VPN) service provides a proxy server to help users bypass Internet censorship such as geoblocking and users who want to protect their communications against data profiling or MitM attacks on hostile networks.
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VPN_service
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
DeFi Protocol
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#defi
Description
A program offering financial services in the form of smart contracts.
Broader Concepts
Service

Label
Lending Protocol
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#defi_lending
Description
A DeFi protocol that lets users lend and borrow cryptoassets without having to go through a centralized intermediary
Broader Concepts
Defi

Label
Decentralized Exchange (DEX)
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#defi_dex
Description
A type of cryptocurrency exchange which allows for direct peer-to-peer cryptocurrency transactions to take place online securely and without the need for an intermediary.
Broader Concepts
Defi

Label
Derivative
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#defi_derivative
Description
A contract between two or more parties whose value is based on an agreed-upon underlying financial (crypto)asset.
Broader Concepts
Defi

Label
Collectible
URI
https://graphsense.github.io/DW-VA-Taxonomy/taxonomies/entities#collectible
Description
A collectible refers to an item that is worth far more than it was originally sold for because of its rarity and/or popularity.
Broader Concepts
Item