What is Dust?
Amounts of crypto too small to be worth moving (the fee exceeds the value) — or, in a "dusting attack", tiny unsolicited transfers used to track and phish wallets.
Dust is crypto too small to move — amounts where the network fee exceeds the value, doomed to sit in a wallet forever. Every long-term user accumulates some: remainders from trades, tiny rewards, the cents of a coin left after a withdrawal. Harmless, if untidy; some exchanges offer "dust conversion" to sweep it into something usable.
The malicious variant matters more: a dusting attack sends tiny unsolicited amounts to thousands of wallets, then watches how the dust moves to link addresses together and identify owners — reconnaissance for phishing or worse. Some dust tokens also advertise scam websites in their name. The defence is inaction: unknown tokens and mystery deposits are museum pieces — look, don't touch.
See it in practice
Related terms: Phishing · Airdrop · Self-custody · full glossary
FAQ
Someone sent tiny amounts of crypto to my wallet — am I hacked?
No — receiving costs you nothing and compromises nothing. It's likely tracking dust. You're only at risk if you interact with it: don't swap it, approve it, or visit anything it names.
Is dust taxable?
Technically received value can be assessable and disposals are CGT events, but amounts this small usually round to nothing. Keep records if your tax software tracks them automatically.
General information only, not financial advice. Definitions are maintained in our fact database and reviewed with the daily rebuild.