Proof of ownership · No access
What counts as proof when you can no longer get into the wallet
There is a paradox in this work: the clean way to prove a wallet is yours is to sign a message with it — and if you could do that, you wouldn’t need it recovered. So in practice ownership is established other ways, and several work very well.
The evidence, ordered by strength
- The exchange email showing the withdrawal to that exact address, in your name and dated. It is the strongest proof there is without signing: it links your verified identity to the specific address.
- The bank statement of the transfer you bought with, combined with that email. It closes the chain from your bank to the wallet.
- A master public key from the wallet, proving you know something only the owner knows without allowing any spending.
- The wallet file in your possession, with a creation date consistent with your story.
- Knowing details only the owner would know: how many accounts there were, approximate amounts, dates of specific movements, the label you gave an address.
- The device’s purchase invoice, if it is a hardware wallet, in your name.
- Emails from the wallet app: alerts, registrations, confirmations.
- Old screenshots of the wallet with a balance, with consistent metadata.
- The physical device in your possession, alongside the above.
Why this is asked for
Because recovering access to a wallet means handing someone control of money that cannot be clawed back if that person had no right to it. There is no way to undo it, no bank to complain to and no insurance. That is why proof of ownership is a precondition, and why a service that doesn’t ask for it should worry you more than one that does.
How they combine
One piece of evidence is rarely enough, and two that support each other almost always are. An exchange email plus a bank statement forms a chain that is hard to fabricate. A wallet file plus knowing the exact amounts of its last movements, likewise. What is sought isn’t perfect proof but a coherent story that fits from several angles.
Special cases
- Inheritance: entitlement to inherit must also be proven. See crypto inheritance.
- Company: corporate documents and authority to represent. See a partner set up the company wallet.
- Separation: an agreement, a court decision or consent. See my ex created the wallet.
- A found wallet: if it isn’t yours, no proof is possible, and it isn’t a case I work.