JoinMarket is free, open-source software for Bitcoin users who want more privacy when they move their coins. It builds CoinJoin transactions, in which several participants combine their payments so outside observers find it harder to trace where funds came from and where they went. It suits people who already understand Bitcoin basics and are comfortable with a command-line-style workflow and a number of manual settings.
Before you read further, know that the project's repository is now archived. It is not recommended for new use, although the releases remain available on GitHub. JoinMarket for Windows can still be downloaded through those releases, but treat it as a tool to study and evaluate carefully rather than a long-term wallet choice. The sections below explain what it does, how it is installed and where it fits among other Bitcoin privacy tools.
What Is a CoinJoin and Why Does It Matter?
A CoinJoin is a Bitcoin transaction in which several people combine their inputs and outputs into one shared transaction. On a public blockchain, an ordinary payment links the sender's coins to the recipient's address in a visible trail. When several owners join forces in one transaction, an outside observer sees many inputs and outputs that look alike, which makes it harder to say which coin went where.
Here is a simple example. Two people each hold bitcoin they want to move with less visibility. They build one transaction together, each contributing coins and receiving new outputs of equal size. Afterward, anyone reading the blockchain sees a single transaction with matching amounts rather than a clear one-to-one payment between them.
CoinJoin improves privacy, but it is not an anonymity button. Habits such as reusing addresses, sending mixed coins straight to a known exchange, or mixing too small a share of your funds can still reveal patterns. JoinMarket's design targets some of these problems directly.
How the Maker and Taker Market Works
JoinMarket organizes CoinJoins as a market with two roles. Takers are participants who want a CoinJoin completed. Makers supply liquidity by contributing their coins and earn a small payout for each CoinJoin they complete. The taker pays the makers instead of relying on a central operator to mix funds.
Makers advertise what they offer in an orderbook. Anyone running the software can query that orderbook to see available makers, their offers and their fidelity bonds. The documentation recommends running your own orderbook locally, since you then see the market from your own node, although public mirrors exist for convenience.
Fidelity bonds are a central part of this design. A maker commits funds to a timelocked bond, which raises the cost of pretending to be many separate makers. That is how the market guards against sybil attacks in practice.
Who Uses JoinMarket and for What Purposes
JoinMarket fits a few specific kinds of users. A technically inclined Bitcoin holder who wants to understand CoinJoin mechanics in depth will find plenty of settings to study. Someone who wants to keep savings, spending money and business receipts apart over time can use mixdepths to separate those pools.
Small merchants and freelancers who accept bitcoin may find PayJoin useful. It lets a payment look less like a standard two-party transaction, and compatible wallets, including Wasabi, can take part. That improves fungibility, meaning one bitcoin is harder to treat differently from another.
It is less suited to a casual user who wants one-click everyday spending. The number of settings, the need to manage the orderbook and the careful handling of keys all take time to learn. For people who simply want to hold and send bitcoin, a simpler wallet is usually the better starting point.
Key features
Native SegWit addresses
Five mixdepths by default
Direct spending or CoinJoin
Standards-based seed support
Fine-grained fee control
Coin freezing
Automated CoinJoin sequences
Custom CoinJoin parameters
Fidelity bonds against sybil attacks
Passive maker mode and PayJoin
Supported coins
JoinMarket is built around Bitcoin (BTC). Its documentation describes Bitcoin as the network it works with, so there is no multi-coin setup to plan around. Every mixdepth, CoinJoin and PayJoin payment described on this page concerns bitcoin only.
How to install JoinMarket on Windows
- 1
Find the official release
Open the project's GitHub Releases page, which is the official source for the program. Because the repository is archived, the release packages remain there. Download only from the official GitHub Releases page or the project's official website.
- 2
Verify the file
Compare the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded file with the value published alongside the release, or check the signature if one is provided. If the values do not match, do not run the file.
- 3
Run the Windows installation
Follow the Windows installation instructions in the project documentation. Install into a folder you control, and avoid running the program with administrator rights unless its documentation explicitly requires it.
-
Start and connect to an orderbook
Launch the program and run the orderbook step described in the documentation so you can see the available makers. Running a local orderbook is recommended, and public mirrors are available as an alternative.
How to use JoinMarket
Before you start, understand that JoinMarket moves real bitcoin, so test the whole flow with a small amount first.
- Create or restore a wallet, and write the seed phrase down offline. Never type it into a website or app that asks for it.
- Deposit a small amount of BTC into one of the default mixdepths.
- Open the taker settings and choose the CoinJoin amount, the number of counterparties and the timing.
- Run the orderbook to see which makers are available, ideally a local orderbook that you run yourself.
- Start the CoinJoin and wait for confirmations before moving to the next step.
- Use coin control to freeze any output you want to keep out of future mixes.
- Spend mixed coins from the appropriate mixdepth, and check the balances in each pocket afterward.
Keep a simple log of what you did and when. Records of your own steps make it much easier to see whether a mixing plan is working as you intended.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source, with the code publicly available on GitHub
- Five default mixdepths help keep different pools of coins separate
- Native SegWit addresses and BIP84/BIP49 compatible seeds
- Fidelity bonds help defend the market against sybil attacks
- PayJoin support for compatible wallets
- Detailed coin control and fee control for experienced users
- The repository is archived and not recommended for new use
- Windows support is mentioned in the documentation but has not been independently verified
- Supports Bitcoin only
- Steep learning curve for newcomers because of the many settings
- CoinJoin improves privacy but does not guarantee anonymity
Is JoinMarket safe?
JoinMarket handles keys and real bitcoin, so the safety rules apply strictly. The repository is archived, which means active development has stopped, and you should factor that into any decision to rely on it. Download only from the official GitHub Releases page or the project's official website, and check the SHA-256 checksum or signature against the published value before running the file. Never enter your seed phrase on third-party websites, in apps you did not install from an official source, or in a support chat. Export private keys only on a machine you trust. Before deciding, check the latest version and the release notes on the official website, and consider a maintained wallet for new funds.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/JoinMarket-Org/joinmarket-clientserver. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
JoinMarket differs from most wallets in this catalog because its core purpose is CoinJoin. Wasabi Wallet also offers CoinJoin, but JoinMarket is built around a maker and taker market with fidelity bonds and tumbler scripts for automated sequences, and it leans toward experienced users. Electrum and Sparrow Wallet are general Bitcoin wallets that focus on Lightning, multisig, coin control and hardware wallet support rather than CoinJoin. Armory is oriented toward cold storage. If mixing is your priority, JoinMarket and Wasabi Wallet are the natural pair to compare. If you want everyday wallet features with a maintained codebase, Electrum or Sparrow Wallet is the better fit.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- —
- Latest version
- v0.9.12
- Last update
- 27 Apr 2026
- Windows support
- Unverified (Windows mentioned in docs)
- Source code
- github.com/JoinMarket-Org/joinmarket-clientserver
Frequently asked questions
Safety depends on where you get the file and whether you verify it. Download only from the official GitHub Releases page, check the SHA-256 checksum or signature, and never enter your seed phrase on third-party sites. The project is archived and no longer actively developed, so it carries more risk than a maintained wallet.
Yes, JoinMarket is listed as free, and its source code is public on GitHub. Bitcoin network fees still apply to every transaction you make. Makers who take part in CoinJoins can earn small payouts, so your overall costs depend on how you use the software.
Windows is mentioned in the project documentation, but that support has not been independently verified. Test the setup with a small amount of bitcoin before relying on it for larger sums, and read the latest release notes for any platform details.
JoinMarket supports BIP84 and BIP49 compatible seeds, the same standards used by Trezor and Samourai. Check the documentation for the exact steps to import a seed, and test the process with a small amount before moving significant funds.
No. CoinJoin makes it harder to trace the link between your inputs and outputs, but it does not make your transactions untraceable. Reusing addresses, mixing too little or sending mixed coins to identifiable services can still reveal patterns.
The documentation describes practical CoinJoin amounts from about 0.01 BTC up to 30 BTC or higher. Smaller amounts are often easier to test first. Choose an amount that fits your setup, and remember that Bitcoin network fees and maker payouts both affect the final result.
Run the orderbook step described in the documentation, which lists the makers currently offering CoinJoins. Running a local orderbook is recommended because you then rely on your own node's view of the market, while public mirrors are available as an alternative.
No. JoinMarket is designed for Bitcoin (BTC), and its CoinJoin, mixdepth and PayJoin features all concern bitcoin. For other currencies, check the other wallets listed in the catalog.
Verdict
JoinMarket suits Bitcoin users who want to learn and practice CoinJoin in depth and who are comfortable with manual settings and careful key handling. Because the repository is archived and no longer actively maintained, it is not a good choice for new long-term storage. If you need privacy features in a maintained wallet, compare Wasabi Wallet or Sparrow Wallet first. Check the latest version on the official website before making any decision.