Topic

Wallet Screening

How on-chain wallet screening works - what it checks, how risk scores are built, and when to run a check before you transact.

Compliance · 2026-10-16 · 6 min read

What Is a PEP, and Why Doesn't It Mean Your Wallet Is Flagged?

A politically exposed person gets enhanced due diligence from crypto exchanges because of corruption risk, not wrongdoing - and that identity check is separate from whether a wallet address itself carries exposure.

Comparison · 2026-10-13 · 7 min read

CEX vs DEX: One Can Freeze Your Wallet, One Can't See It

Custody decides who can actually screen a wallet. Here is why a CEX can freeze funds at four checkpoints, a DEX protocol has none, and some DEX front ends screen anyway.

escrow · 2026-10-08 · 6 min read

Crypto Escrow Checklist: 7 Checks Before You Trust a Third Party

A 7-step checklist for anyone using crypto escrow in a peer-to-peer trade, NFT sale, or OTC deal: screen the escrow wallet before you send a single coin.

AML · 2026-10-05 · 5 min read

What Is a KYC Mule? A Verified Account Doesn't Mean a Clean Wallet

Verified doesn't mean controlled by the same person who opened the account. Here is how a KYC mule scheme works, what the AudiA6 takedown showed, and why wallet screening catches what onboarding checks miss.

dao governance · 2026-10-01 · 6 min read

6-Point Checklist Before You Add a New DAO Multisig Signer

A 6-step checklist for DAOs: screen a signer candidate's wallet for sanctions, mixer, and stolen-funds exposure before a governance vote grants them treasury access.

What Is · 2026-09-30 · 5 min read

Why Wallet Clustering Flags Addresses That Never Touched a Scam

Exchanges don't score one address at a time. They group every address an owner controls first, and that is why a wallet that never touched a scam can still fail a check.

multichain screening · 2026-09-29 · 6 min read

Ethereum vs Layer-2 Wallets: Why One Address Gets Two Risk Scores

An EVM address is identical on every chain, but the transaction history behind it isn't. Here's why a wallet can screen clean on Ethereum and flagged on Arbitrum or Base, and when checking mainnet alone is actually enough.

crypto influencer payments · 2026-09-24 · 5 min read

Crypto Influencer Deals: A 7-Point Wallet Screening Checklist

A checklist for screening a creator's or influencer's payout wallet before a crypto sponsorship payment - catch sanctions, mixer, and stolen-funds exposure before the money moves.

Wallet Screening · 2026-09-23 · 6 min read

Why a 2-Cent Transfer Got a $750K Wallet Banned From Hyperliquid

An unsolicited two-cent transfer triggered a high-risk flag that locked a four-year, $750,000 trading wallet out of Hyperliquid. What happened, and how to avoid the same false positive.

Comparison · 2026-09-22 · 7 min read

Bitcoin vs Ethereum Wallet Screening: Which Goes Deeper?

Ethereum wallet screening traces multi-hop counterparty exposure; Bitcoin screening checks only the address itself. Here is why the two chains can't get the same depth of check, and when the shallower one is still the right call.

OFAC · 2026-09-21 · 5 min read

Can OFAC Shut Down an Entire Crypto Exchange? BitBank Just Found Out

OFAC put an entire exchange on the SDN list again, this time an Iranian Bitcoin exchange accused of moving IRGC funds. Here is what an entity-level designation freezes, what it leaves out, and how the 50 percent rule extends the exposure.

Monero · 2026-09-20 · 7 min read

Does Using Monero Increase Your IRS Audit Risk?

Monero is opaque on-chain, but converting it at a KYC exchange links your identity to a fully public wallet on the other side. Here is what that means for an IRS audit and how the 2025 wallet-by-wallet rule changed the math.

Wallet Security · 2026-09-18 · 7 min read

Can a Crypto AML Checker Steal Your Wallet Instead of Screening It?

Sites impersonating AMLBot promise a free wallet check, then talk victims into connecting a wallet and signing a transaction that drains it. How the scam works, and how a real screening check never touches your wallet at all.

political campaigns · 2026-09-17 · 5 min read

7-Step Crypto Donation Checklist for Campaigns

Before a campaign takes a crypto donation: check state law, verify the donor under FEC rules, and screen the wallet for sanctions or stolen-fund exposure.

Wallet Security · 2026-09-16 · 5 min read

Can a Job Interview Drain Your Crypto Wallet?

Recruiters posing as crypto startups send developers a coding test that installs wallet-draining malware. How Contagious Interview works, and what protects you.

AML · 2026-09-15 · 7 min read

Crypto Whitelist vs Blacklist: Which One Freezes Your Withdrawal?

An exchange whitelist and a sanctions blacklist get confused constantly, but they are built by different people for different reasons. Here is how each one works, and which one actually stops your money from moving.

Wallet Screening · 2026-09-14 · 5 min read

Does Wallet Screening Work on Solana Yet?

Plastron's Solana scan checks sanctions and a labeled scam corpus directly, but it can't trace counterparty exposure the way an Ethereum scan can yet. Here's what that gap means for a clean result.

What Is · 2026-09-12 · 6 min read

Why MetaMask Flags Legit Sites as 'Deceptive' (And What It Misses)

A clean MetaMask warning says nothing about the wallet address you are about to pay. Here is what the site-reputation check covers, and what it does not.

law firms · 2026-09-10 · 6 min read

Law Firm Crypto Retainer Checklist: What Bar Ethics Opinions Skip

Bar opinions let firms accept crypto retainers if the fee is reasonable and disclosed. None of them ask you to screen the paying wallet. This 7-step checklist covers both.

OTC · 2026-09-07 · 5 min read

The $504 Million Reason OTC Desks Screen Your Wallet First

A wallet whitelist form before a trade clears isn't friction. It's the same AML law that covers a $50 exchange deposit, with a bigger check to write if it's skipped.

data report · 2026-09-05 · 5 min read

Plastron's Wallet Data: 86% of Flagged Wallets Are Scams

Scam-labeled wallets make up 86% of Plastron's 3,901-address dataset, dwarfing hack exploiters and the separate 780-entry OFAC list, and the skew matches Operation Atlantic and Chainalysis's own numbers.

Wallet Screening · 2026-09-04 · 6 min read

Why Does Polymarket Flag or Freeze Your Wallet Before You Trade?

A blocked wallet on Polymarket usually traces back to a sanctions match, a mixer link, or a fingerprint collision - not something you did in the app itself.

Wallet Screening · 2026-08-31 · 7 min read

Can Wallet Screening See Restaked ETH After the Kelp DAO Hack?

Kelp DAO's rsETH holders learned the hard way that a clean wallet score doesn't cover every layer of a restaked position. Here's the exact gap and how to check for it.

AML · 2026-08-30 · 5 min read

Does an Airdrop Sybil Flag Mean Your Wallet Failed AML Screening?

Losing an airdrop to a sybil filter feels like a compliance problem, but it isn't the same check. Here is what sybil detection actually looks for, how it differs from sanctions and stolen-funds screening, and when a sybil-flagged wallet can genuinely fail an AML check too.

AML · 2026-08-25 · 7 min read

Why a Clean Wallet Screening Result Doesn't Prove Ownership

Wallet screening and wallet ownership verification answer different questions. Here is how they differ, and what the EU's Travel Rule actually requires above 1,000 euros.

Comparison · 2026-08-18 · 6 min read

Custodial vs Non-Custodial Wallets: Who Gets AML Screened?

Custodial exchanges run KYC and monitoring the moment you sign up. Non-custodial wallets get no independent AML check at all, unless you run one yourself.

Wallet Screening · 2026-08-16 · 5 min read

The Coldcard Hack Drained $116M. Here's Where It's Hiding.

A five-year-old firmware bug let attackers brute-force Coldcard seed keys and drain $116 million in bitcoin. Most of it is still sitting untouched, which is exactly the window wallet screening needs.

DeFi · 2026-08-14 · 5 min read

Hyperliquid and GMX Skip KYC. They Skip Wallet Screening Too.

Hyperliquid, GMX, and similar perpetual exchanges skip KYC entirely, but their compliance model only checks IP address, not wallet history. Here is the real gap between geo-blocking and wallet-level screening, and how to check an address before connecting it.

rug pull · 2026-08-13 · 7 min read

8-Point Rug-Pull Wallet Checklist: Liquidity Locks Aren't Enough

An 8-step checklist to screen a new token's deployer wallet before you buy in or add liquidity, because a locked pool alone doesn't rule out a rug pull.

wallet-screening · 2026-08-10 · 5 min read

The ERC-4337 Blind Spot Most Screening Tools Miss

ERC-4337 smart accounts route transactions through a bundler and a shared EntryPoint contract, and the real wallet sits inside the calldata - not in the transaction header most screening tools check.

Compliance · 2026-08-08 · 5 min read

Why Adverse Media Screening Catches What Sanctions Lists Miss

A clean wallet screen doesn't guarantee a clean account. Adverse media screening checks your name against the news - a separate layer most compliance guides skip.

bridge · 2026-08-06 · 8 min read

7 Checks That Stop a Bridge Transfer From Flagging Your Wallet

A 7-step checklist for bridging crypto safely: screen the bridge contract, verify its reserve, and check both wallets before and after the transfer confirms.

AML · 2026-08-04 · 6 min read

Blockchain Forensics vs Wallet Screening: Which Do You Actually Need?

Blockchain forensics and wallet screening get lumped together, but they solve different problems on different timelines. Here is how they differ, and when you need one, the other, or both.

Wallet Screening · 2026-08-03 · 7 min read

Can Wallet Screening See Through an EIP-7702 Delegation?

A wallet can pass a screening check clean and still hand over control an hour later through a signed EIP-7702 delegation. Here is the exact blind spot and what to check before you send funds.

data report · 2026-08-01 · 5 min read

The 50 Riskiest Wallets in Plastron's Data Are Hackers, Not Scammers

Only 50 of 3,901 labeled addresses hit Plastron's critical tier, and 48 are hack exploiters like Ronin, Nomad, and Wormhole, not scam or sanctions entries.

airdrop · 2026-07-30 · 7 min read

Claiming a Crypto Airdrop? Run This 7-Point Checklist First

A 7-step checklist for claiming crypto airdrops safely: verify the source, screen the contract and destination wallet, cap the approval, then revoke it after signing.

Comparison · 2026-07-28 · 5 min read

Etherscan vs a Wallet Screening Tool: What It Won't Show You

A block explorer and a wallet screening tool answer different questions - here is the line between proving a transaction happened and knowing it's safe.

AI Agents · 2026-07-25 · 7 min read

AI Agents Are Getting Crypto Wallets. Are They Getting Screened?

AI agents now pay each other in stablecoins with no human in the loop. The $175,000 Grok-Bankr hack shows those wallets carry the exact same sanctions and stolen-funds exposure a human wallet does - and almost nobody is screening them.

NFT · 2026-07-24 · 6 min read

NFT Wash Trading Hit 60% of Trade Value. Your Wallet Could Be Next

Wash trading fakes NFT volume, not a crime by itself. But the funding-source and back-and-forth patterns it leaves on-chain are the same signals AML wallet-screening tools use to flag high-risk addresses everywhere else.

nonprofits · 2026-07-23 · 5 min read

Crypto Donation Checklist: 7 Checks Before Your Nonprofit Says Yes

A 7-step checklist for nonprofits accepting crypto donations: screen the donor's wallet for sanctions, mixer, and stolen-funds exposure before you book the gift.

Stablecoins · 2026-07-20 · 5 min read

FATF Says Criminals Are Building Stablecoins No One Can Freeze

FATF's July 2026 review names a typology regulators had not flagged before: criminal networks issuing their own stablecoins, engineered with no freeze function at all.

Stablecoins · 2026-07-19 · 5 min read

GENIUS Act's Deadline Came and Went. Your Stablecoin Didn't Notice.

Six federal agencies missed the GENIUS Act's one-year rulemaking deadline. Here is what actually changes for a stablecoin holder, and what does not.

AML · 2026-07-15 · 6 min read

What Are the Three Stages of Money Laundering in Crypto?

The three stages of money laundering - placement, layering, and integration - work differently in crypto. Here is what each looks like on-chain and why layering is the stage that flags your wallet.

KYC · 2026-07-14 · 7 min read

KYC vs KYT: What's the Difference in Crypto Compliance?

KYC and KYT sound interchangeable but answer different questions. Here is how identity verification and transaction screening differ, and when you need one, the other, or both.

Compliance · 2026-07-13 · 6 min read

What Is a VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) and Why Does It Screen Your Wallet?

VASP means virtual asset service provider - the exchanges and custodians that must verify you and screen your wallet under AML rules. Here is what that means for your deposits.

Wallet Screening · 2026-07-12 · 6 min read

What Does Darknet Market Exposure Mean on Your Wallet Risk Report?

A screening report can flag your wallet for darknet market exposure even if you never used one. Here is what the label means, how the taint reaches you, and what an exchange does about it.

AML · 2026-07-11 · 7 min read

What Are the FATF Red Flag Indicators That Flag a Crypto Transaction?

Compliance tools do not flag a wallet at random. They watch for the same six red-flag categories the FATF published, and matching several at once is what triggers a review.

What Is · 2026-07-10 · 5 min read

What Is Chainalysis and How Does It Track Your Crypto Wallet?

How Chainalysis turns public blockchain data into a labeled, scored profile of your wallet - and where its visibility actually ends.

AML · 2026-07-08 · 6 min read

Address Screening vs Transaction Monitoring: Which AML Control Do You Need?

Address screening and transaction monitoring solve different problems in crypto AML. Here is how they differ in scope, timing, and cost, and when you need one, the other, or both.

data report · 2026-07-08 · 6 min read

What 3,887 Labeled Crypto Addresses Reveal About Risk

Inside a 3,887-address risk dataset, scam and fraud account for 93.5% of every label, while sanctioned wallets sit in a separate 780-address government list.

Sanctions · 2026-07-05 · 7 min read

Can the Government Freeze or Seize Your Crypto Wallet? How to Get It Back

A frozen or seized wallet is not a criminal charge. Here is how government seizure works, what triggers it, and the legal tools that get frozen crypto back.

Sanctions · 2026-07-03 · 8 min read

I Received Crypto From an Address That Was Later Sanctioned - What Now?

The transfer was lawful when it landed, but a later OFAC designation turns those same coins into blocked property. Here is what that means and what to do.

AML · 2026-07-02 · 5 min read

Can FixedFloat or ChangeNOW Freeze My Funds as 'High Risk'?

A no-KYC swap put your funds on hold and asked for ID? The trigger is the coins' history, not you. Here is why it happens and how to get them back.

AML · 2026-07-02 · 6 min read

What Is a Nested Exchange in Crypto and Can It Get Your Wallet Flagged?

Some no-KYC swappers are really front ends running on another exchange's account. That hidden structure can pass sanctions or scam exposure straight to your wallet.

Wallet Screening · 2026-07-01 · 6 min read

How Do Crypto Exchanges Know Which Wallets Are Yours?

Blockchain analytics firms link your separate wallets into one entity using deposit-address reuse and on-chain patterns, then tie the cluster to your name through KYC. Here is how clustering works and what your activity gives away.

Compliance · 2026-06-27 · 6 min read

What Should I Do If My Wallet Address Was Reported on Chainabuse?

A Chainabuse listing is a public claim, not a conviction. Here is what it does to your risk score, why honest wallets get reported, and how to flag a false one.

AML · 2026-06-26 · 6 min read

Can I Be Criminally Charged for Receiving Stolen Crypto I Didn't Know Was Stolen?

Criminal charges for receiving stolen crypto generally require knowledge, but you can still lose the funds. Here is how charge risk and civil recovery differ.

Compliance · 2026-06-26 · 6 min read

Will Form 1099-DA Report My Crypto Wallet Transactions to the IRS in 2026?

The first Form 1099-DA arrives in 2026. It reports custodial exchange sales, not self-custody transfers or DeFi swaps - here is what the IRS actually sees.

Compliance · 2026-06-25 · 6 min read

Do I Have to File Form 8300 When My Business Gets Over $10,000 in Crypto?

Crypto is treated as cash for the $10,000 Form 8300 rule, but the IRS paused digital-asset filing in 2024. Here is what businesses need to know.

Tracing · 2026-06-25 · 6 min read

Does Swapping Crypto on a DEX Hide Where It Came From?

A DEX swap changes the token you hold, not the on-chain trail behind it. Here is why analytics see straight through it.

source of funds · 2026-06-24 · 6 min read

How Do I Screen Inherited Crypto Before Moving It to an Exchange?

Inherited a wallet with no purchase records? Here is how to screen its history for sanctions and mixer exposure and prove a legitimate source of funds before you deposit.

Compliance · 2026-06-22 · 6 min read

Why Did My Crypto Exchange Ask for a Selfie or Source of Funds?

A selfie or source-of-funds request after a deposit means an enhanced due diligence check fired. What triggers it, what documents clear it, and how to see it coming.

Wallet Security · 2026-06-21 · 6 min read

How to Check and Revoke Risky Token Approvals on Your Wallet

Every swap or mint leaves a standing approval that lets a contract move your tokens, and it never expires on its own. Here is how to find every active token approval, revoke the unlimited and unused ones, and screen the wallet for exposure it may have inherited.

Wallet Screening · 2026-06-21 · 7 min read

Should I Screen a Customer's Wallet Before Accepting a Crypto Payment?

Accepting crypto direct to your wallet skips the deposit screen an exchange would run. Here is how to check a customer's payment for taint before you accept it.

What Is · 2026-06-20 · 7 min read

Why Is Your Wallet Blocked on Uniswap? How DeFi Front-End Screening Works

A Uniswap block lives in the website, not the chain. Here is what triggers it, why it is not a freeze, and how to find the on-chain exposure behind it.

AML · 2026-06-20 · 6 min read

Why Do Chainalysis, TRM Labs, and Elliptic Give the Same Wallet Different Risk Scores?

Run one address through different screening tools and the scores rarely match. There is no single official risk score for a wallet - each vendor builds its own labels, clustering, and exposure model. Here is why the numbers diverge, and what a flag from one tool actually tells you.

AML · 2026-06-18 · 5 min read

Do Crypto Exchanges Share a Blacklist of Flagged Wallets?

There is no shared ban list, yet a wallet flagged at one exchange tends to get flagged at all of them. Here is why, and how to stay clear.

How To · 2026-06-16 · 8 min read

How to Check if a Crypto Address Is a Scam Before You Send

A crypto transfer is final the second it confirms. Here is how to check a recipient address against scam, sanctions, and stolen-funds databases before you send.

AML · 2026-06-15 · 6 min read

Direct vs Indirect Exposure in a Crypto Wallet Risk Score

A wallet can score as risky with no flagged counterparties of its own. The reason is indirect exposure - tainted value that reached you through intermediate hops. Here is how risk scores separate direct from indirect exposure, and why the difference decides whether a score is a real problem.

AML · 2026-06-14 · 6 min read

Does Using a VPN Get Your Crypto Exchange Account Flagged?

A VPN by itself rarely flags your account, yet paired with a new device, a new region, or a large withdrawal it can trip an exchange's risk engine. What actually triggers the flag, what it can never touch, and how to keep a privacy habit from looking like an attack.