when i first encountered DNMs the recommended process i was taught was exchange >> bitcoin tumbler >> DNM, using tor, a vpn and pgp 2fa. ive been away for a little while but now people seem to treating tumbling like the devil, and recommended setups involve routing coins through 5-6 different places with all sorts of software and, its all sort of overwhelming. i only buy small personal amounts. im not sure why the fundamentals have changed and why previous advice is now often decried as insecure. is it really that dangerous for the average user to still use this method? are people overstating the risks that exist? i still havent had any issues just obfuscating bitcoins using a tumbler but now im feeling paranoid and exhausted. i dont particularly have the facility to set up tails at the moment or adopt these new methods and, in plain terms for a small time buyer, are these concerns really applicable? if i hadnt been reading reddit subs id still be happily still passing my transactions through a tumbler and not worrying as i always have. lots of other people seem to still just do that, or at least they did. what has really changed, if anything? how worried should i be? or not?
if you tumble your coins, you are ahead 95% of basic dnm users, even with not using tails, like most people dont use it.