We find quantum group dynamic characterizations of the existence and uniqueness of tracial states on the reduced C * -algebra Cr( G) of an arbitrary discrete quantum group G. We prove that Cr( G) admits a tracial state if and only there exists a Ginvariant state if and only if the cokernel of the Furstenberg boundary of G, HF , is unimodular. We prove that there is a unique tracial state if and only if HF coincides with the canonical Kac quotient of G and a certain quantum group C * -algebra is exotic. Along the way, we obtain that Cr( G) is nuclear and has a tracial state if and only if G is amenable, which resolves an open problem due to C.-K Ng and Viselter, and Crann, in the discrete case. As applications of our work, we find that C * -simplicity implies the Haar state is the only possible tracial state for arbitrary G, and we answer two questions of Kalantar, Kasprzak, Skalski, and Vergnioux in the case where G is unimodular.