Breadth, Depth, And Quality: Why Comparing Blockchain Analytics Vendors by Cluster Count Is Only Part of the Calculation

This Chainalysis article argues that the common metric of “cluster” count in blockchain analytics is insufficient and potentially misleading because it conflates three separate analytical claims (structural grouping, attribution, and operator vs beneficiary). It explains each claim, warns that higher cluster counts do not necessarily indicate better quality, and provides a set of practical questions evaluators should ask providers to verify reproducibility, evidence types, and operator attribution.