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.
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 readKYC 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 readWhat 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 readWhat 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 readWhat 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 readWhat 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 readAddress 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 readWhat 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 readCan 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 readI 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 readCan 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 readWhat 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 readHow 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 readWhat 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 readCan 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 readWill 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 readDo 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 readDoes 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 readHow 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 readWhy 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 readHow 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 readShould 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 readWhy 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 readWhy 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 readDo 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 readHow 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 readDirect 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 readDoes 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.
AML · 2026-06-14 · 6 min readHow Far Back Do Crypto Exchanges Check Your Transaction History?
There is no 90-day cutoff on-chain. Exchanges trace a deposit back to its source through every hop, and a clean deposit can be re-flagged years later when a past counterparty is linked to crime. Here is how far back the check really goes - and how to see it first.
AML · 2026-06-13 · 6 min readIs Crypto From a Bitcoin ATM Flagged by Exchanges?
Buying crypto at a kiosk is legal, yet the deposit can still land under review. Why Bitcoin ATM funds score as high-risk, what your exchange sees, and how to keep a clean purchase from being held.
Wallet Screening · 2026-06-13 · 7 min readWallet Flagged as High-Risk? How to Dispute a False Positive
A high-risk flag is a probability, not a verdict - and it is often wrong. How to tell a false positive from a real risk, and the exact steps to get an incorrect wallet flag reversed.
Compliance · 2026-06-11 · 6 min readI Deposited Crypto From an Online Casino and My Exchange Flagged It - Why?
A casino payout can land at your exchange with a hold and a source-of-funds request. Why gambling-origin crypto gets flagged, and how to get it released.
Compliance · 2026-06-11 · 6 min readIs My Crypto Tainted? What Dirty Coins Really Mean
Tainted or dirty crypto is a coin whose history touches theft, fraud, sanctions, or a mixer. What that really means, whether the taint transfers to you, and how to check before it costs you a frozen account.
Compliance · 2026-06-10 · 6 min readCan You Find Out If a Crypto Exchange Filed a SAR on You?
A SAR is confidential by law, so an exchange can't tell you one was filed. What triggers a Suspicious Activity Report, the indirect signs to watch for, and what you can do.
Compliance · 2026-06-10 · 6 min readWhat Is a Peel Chain in Crypto Money Laundering?
A peel chain hides a large theft inside a flood of tiny transfers across many wallets. How the pattern works, why launderers use it, and how screening still walks it back.
AML · 2026-06-09 · 5 min readWhy Did My Bank Account Get Frozen After a P2P Crypto Trade?
You sold crypto in good faith and your bank account froze days later. Why a buyer's stolen payment lands on you, and how to get the freeze lifted.
Tracing · 2026-06-08 · 6 min readCan Law Enforcement Trace a Crypto Wallet to Your Identity?
A wallet address is not a name, but it is rarely a dead end. How investigators connect a public address to a real identity, and what that means for your funds.
What Is · 2026-06-08 · 6 min readCrypto Dusting Attacks: What to Do When You Receive Unknown Tokens
An unexpected token or a few cents of crypto you never bought is usually the start of a dusting attack. Here is why to leave it alone and how to check the sender.
Compliance · 2026-06-07 · 6 min readChain-Hopping: Can Exchanges Trace Crypto Across Blockchains?
Chain-hopping moves funds across blockchains to break the trail, but bridges and swaps leave matching records. What cross-chain tracing actually reconstructs.
How To · 2026-06-07 · 7 min readHow to Get a Frozen Crypto Exchange Account Unfrozen After an AML Review
An AML freeze is a compliance hold, not an accusation. Here is how to find the real reason, send the right source-of-funds proof, and escalate if it drags on.
How To · 2026-06-07 · 6 min readHow to Screen a Counterparty Wallet Before an OTC Trade
An OTC trade skips the exchange deposit screen, so checking the counterparty's funds for taint is on you. Here is how to run a wallet risk check before you settle.
What Is · 2026-06-05 · 6 min readWhat Is a Crypto Wallet Drainer? How to Tell If Your Wallet Was Drained
A wallet drainer doesn't steal your seed phrase - it gets you to sign a malicious approval. How to spot one, what to do if you're hit, and how to avoid it.
ethereum · 2026-06-04 · 5 min readIdentifying High-Risk Smart Contract Interactions: A Guide to Avoiding Wallet Flagging
Discover the hidden dangers in smart contract interactions that lead to wallet flagging and how to avoid them.
Scams · 2026-06-03 · 5 min readAddress Poisoning: The Lookalike Address in Your History
A near-identical address shows up in your history, you copy it, and funds go to a scammer. How address poisoning works and how to send safely.
DeFi · 2026-06-01 · 5 min readIs DeFi Safe? What Wallet Screening Can and Can't Catch
DeFi lost more than 625M to exploits in a single month. A wallet screen can't stop a contract bug, but it guards the funds and counterparties you accept. Here's the split.
AML · 2026-06-01 · 4 min readWhat Is a Crypto Risk Score? Understanding AML Risk Ratings for Your Wallet
Two wallets with the same balance can be treated very differently. What a crypto risk score measures and how to check yours.
What Is · 2026-05-30 · 5 min readWhat Is a KYT Check in Crypto and Why Every DeFi User Needs One
A KYT (Know Your Transaction) check monitors the flow of funds across addresses in real time, flagging exposure to sanctions lists, mixers, and high-risk counterparties before a transaction settles.
What Is · 2026-05-28 · 4 min readWhat Is Crypto Wallet Screening? A Plain-English Guide
Wallet screening checks an address for AML and KYT risk before an exchange does it for you.