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Guide

Crypto proof of funds: how to prove you hold it

Proof of funds in crypto has two halves: the balance, which anyone can look up on the blockchain, and proof that the address holding it is yours. The second half is the one people get wrong.

Updated 14 Oct 2026

Why a screenshot isn't enough

A screenshot of a wallet app or an exchange balance is easy to fake, and even a real one doesn't show the address belongs to you. A blockchain explorer shows the balance of any address, but anyone can paste in someone else's address. What's missing is proof of control.

The two halves

  1. The balance: the address and its balance at a point in time. Anyone can confirm this on a block explorer.
  2. Control: a signed message from that address, ideally naming the person asking and the date, so it can't be reused. Only the holder of the private key can make it. See proof of wallet ownership.

Together they say: this address holds this much, and the person showing it controls the address.

Doing it with VerifiedWallet

  • Get a certificate for the wallet (from $1). It proves control and gives you a link the other side can open and check themselves. With identity, it also shows the holder's identity was verified; with AML screening, that the wallet was screened against sanctions and risk lists, which is what solicitors and compliance teams usually ask about next.
  • Businesses that need it routinely (OTC desks, brokers, property firms) can ask for a signed balance snapshot as part of a verification: native coin plus USDC and USDT on the major networks, a dollar total, and whether it meets a minimum you set. See proof of funds in the API.

What the other side will usually ask

  • Is it yours? The signature or certificate answers that.
  • Is it clean? Where the funds came from. AML screening of the wallet helps; for property purchases expect to explain the source of funds too (when and how you acquired the crypto).
  • Is it still there? A snapshot is a moment in time. For a completion date, they may ask again just before.

Funds on an exchange

An exchange account isn't a wallet you control: the exchange holds the keys, so you can't sign from it. Use the exchange's own account statement for funds held there, or move the funds to a wallet you control and prove that instead.

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Questions

Will a solicitor or bank accept crypto proof of funds?

Many will, but each sets its own rules. They usually want proof the wallet is yours, its balance, AML screening and an explanation of the source of funds. A VerifiedWallet AML-screened certificate covers the first three; ask them what else they need.

Do I have to move my crypto to prove I have it?

No. Signing a message proves control without moving anything, and costs nothing.

Can I prove funds held across several wallets?

Yes: prove each address separately. Each certificate covers one wallet.