Crypto transactions are irreversible. Once you send, you cannot call it back. That makes the 30 seconds you spend checking a wallet address before sending one of the highest-value things you can do in crypto.

Why checking matters

Most crypto scams rely on one thing: you sending funds to an address without checking its history. A scammer's address isn't blank — it has a record. It may have received funds from dozens of victims. It may be connected to a known mixer. It may even appear on the OFAC sanctions list, which means transacting with it could expose you to legal liability.

Blockchain data is public and permanent. Every address has a history you can read — if you know how.

What to look for

A thorough wallet check covers four things:

1. Sanctions screening

Is the address on the OFAC SDN list, or a similar list from the EU, UK, or UN? Sending funds to a sanctioned address is illegal in most jurisdictions regardless of whether you knew. This is the most important check.

2. Known threat actor tags

Has the address been flagged by exchanges or blockchain intelligence firms as a scammer, hacker, darknet operator, or mixer? These tags come from historical transaction analysis and exchange reports.

3. Entity attribution

Who likely controls this address? A known exchange, a DeFi protocol, a specific named entity — or an unhosted wallet with no trail? Knowing who you're sending to is basic due diligence.

4. Counterparty exposure

What addresses has this wallet interacted with? If its recent counterparties are mixers, darknet markets, or sanctioned addresses, that's a strong signal to avoid it — even if the address itself isn't directly flagged.

How to run a check in 60 seconds

You don't need a blockchain analytics subscription or technical knowledge. WalletDNA lets you paste any wallet address and get a full risk report instantly — free for up to 10 checks per month.

Go to walletdna.com
Paste the wallet address in the search bar
Wait 10–30 seconds for the analysis to complete
Review the risk score, entity attribution, and tags
Check the fund flow graph for any concerning counterparties

WalletDNA automatically detects the chain — Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and 15 others. You don't need to specify it.

How to read the risk score

WalletDNA produces a risk score from 0 to 100. Here's a rough guide to what it means in practice:

Score	Label	What it means
0–25	Low risk	No flags. Safe to transact with normal caution.
26–50	Medium risk	Some signals worth noting. Proceed carefully and document.
51–75	High risk	Significant flags. Strong reason to avoid or investigate further.
76–100	Critical	Sanctions match or known threat actor. Do not transact.

What if the score is high?

If you receive a high or critical risk score on an address you were asked to send to:

Do not send. No legitimate business or person needs you to send crypto to a flagged address.
Download the PDF report and keep it as documentation.
If you were contacted unsolicited, it is almost certainly a scam. Report it to the relevant authority in your country.
If you already sent funds, move to fund flow analysis immediately — the sooner you trace the funds, the better the chance of exchange intervention.

Limitations to understand

Blockchain analysis is powerful but not perfect. A clean risk score does not guarantee a wallet is legitimate — a freshly created address with no history will score low simply because there's nothing to flag yet. Always combine an on-chain check with common-sense due diligence: Who is asking you to send? Why are they asking for crypto specifically? Have you verified their identity through a separate channel?

Check any wallet now — free

10 free checks per month. No credit card. Results in under 60 seconds.

Go to WalletDNA