Wallets build transactions in recognizable ways: a fixed <code>SetComputeUnitLimit</code> and <code>SetComputeUnitPrice</code> pair, a particular instruction order, the same address lookup tables, the same tip account for a block-engine bundle. Combined with the precompile instruction, this shape usually identifies which passkey wallet you use, and narrows the set of people you could be.

Compute budget values, instruction order, and lookup tables fingerprint who built the transaction.

Transaction shape reveals the wallet software

A passkey prompt takes seconds, and a <code>recentBlockhash</code> expires after about 150 slots. Some wallets therefore use durable nonces, so a transaction can be signed now and submitted later. The nonce account is a public account that each transaction advances, so every transaction using it is linked, and so is whoever created and funded it.

A reused nonce account ties every transaction that uses it together.

Durable nonce accounts link pre-signed transactions

A wallet tab constantly calls <code>getBalance</code>, <code>getTokenAccountsByOwner</code>, <code>getSignaturesForAddress</code>, and opens <code>accountSubscribe</code> websockets for your vault. Each request tells the RPC node which accounts you care about and the IP address asking. <code>sendTransaction</code> ties your IP to a specific transaction.<br/><br/>Free and public RPC tiers commonly log requests, and a few large providers serve most Solana traffic, so a handful of companies can map IP addresses to vaults at scale.

Balance polls, subscriptions, and sendTransaction requests all carry your IP address.