Can view keys differentiate between payments and change?

Question

Considering they track incoming payments as well as change, how do they know which one is which? If an organization wants to audit my account, and I've been sending a large number of transfers, won't they see a bunch of incoming transactions that are really just the change of the money I sent?

And will any of this change with RingCT?

score 7 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 11 '16 at 17:54

7

If you think about it, change comes back in the same transaction as the money you sent. If you receive X monero as change, you will have sent Y monero in the same transaction, with Y > X.

The answer to your question boils down to the key images. You give a signed set of key images to the auditor, who can now see money going in and out.

See How to prove my Monero balance to a world? for the procedure.

Nothing about this will change with RingCT.

answered Oct 11 '16 at 17:54

user36303

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So in this sense, key images almost supercede the use of a viewkey. – Oct 11 '16 at 18:19
If by supercede, you mean supplement, then yes. – user36303 Oct 11 '16 at 19:19

Can view keys differentiate between payments and change?

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