Step-by-step guide: How to check a crypto wallet for cleanliness before a transaction?
Introduction: Trust, but Verify
Before we begin, if you do not fully understand what "dirty" assets are, we recommend first reading our main article What is AML in Cryptocurrencies, and only then proceeding with the guide "How to check a crypto wallet before a transaction."
Imagine this: you are selling USDT on a P2P platform. You found a buyer with a good rate, they transferred the money, and you release the cryptocurrency to their wallet. The transaction was successful. But a day later, your exchange account is frozen and marked "investigation of suspicious activity." Sounds familiar?
This is a classic scenario where a legitimate user suffers due to interaction with "dirty" assets. In a world where every transaction leaves an eternal trail, a simple check of the counterparty's address is not paranoia — it is a necessity.
But how do you do it if you are not an expert in on-chain analysis? You do not need to be a Sherlock Holmes of the blockchain world. Today, there are simple and accessible tools that do all the hard work for you.
In this guide, we will show you step by step, with screenshots, how to use our free service to check a crypto wallet for "cleanliness" in just a couple of minutes and understand what the results mean. This is an instruction that can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of stress.
Table of Contents
- Step 1: Where to get the address for checking?
- Step 2: Choosing the right network
- Step 3: Running the analysis on our service
- Step 4: Reading and understanding the results (Green, Yellow, and Red zones)
- Real-life examples: What reports look like for different wallets
- Conclusion: Turning checking into a healthy habit
Step 1: Where to get the address for checking?
The first thing we need is the "patient" itself — the wallet address we want to analyze. Depending on the situation, you can get it from different sources.
- During P2P trading:
- If you are the seller: The buyer provides you with their address to receive the cryptocurrency. This is the one you should check.
- If you are the buyer: You provide your address. In this case, it is useful to check your own wallet in advance to ensure it is "clean" and will not raise suspicions from the seller.
- When receiving payment for services/goods: Your client or customer sends you the address from which they will be sending the funds. It is important to know how to check the crypto wallet before the transaction is made.
- When interacting with a DeFi/NFT project: You want to send funds to a smart contract address for staking, minting, or purchasing. The contract address is always listed on the project's official website. Checking it can save you from sending money to a fraudulent project.
What does an address look like?
It is a long string of letters and numbers.
- For Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, and other EVM networks, it always starts with
0x...(e.g.,0xAb5801a7D398351b8bE11C439e05C5B3259aeC9B). - For the Tron network, it usually starts with
T...(e.g.,TR7NHqjeKQxGTCi8q8ZY4pL8otSzgjLj6t).
Copy the required address to your clipboard.
Step 2: Choosing the right network
This is a critically important step! The address 0x123... can exist simultaneously on both the Ethereum network and the BSC network, but these will be two completely different wallets with different transaction histories. Checking the address on the wrong network will yield incorrect results.
Always confirm with your counterparty which specific network (blockchain) the transaction will take place on.
- USDT on the Tron network? Choose
Tron (TRC-20). - ETH or a token on Uniswap? Choose
Ethereum (ERC-20). - BNB or a token on PancakeSwap? Choose
BNB Smart Chain (BSC, BEP-20).
Our service supports dozens of networks. Simply select the one you need from the dropdown list.
Step 3: Running the analysis on our service
Now that we have the address and the network, everything becomes simple. Let us look at how to check a crypto wallet:
- Go to our "AML Check" page.
- Select the network from the dropdown list, as determined in Step 2.
- Paste the copied address of the wallet into the input field.
- Click the "Check Wallet" button.
The analysis process takes from 3 to 10 seconds. During this time, our service sends a request to an analytical platform that "cross-references" the address against databases and analyzes its connections. You do not need to do anything, just wait.
Step 4: Reading and understanding the results (Green, Yellow, and Red zones)
After the analysis is complete, you will see a final risk score as a percentage and a short message. We have specifically designed a simple and intuitive three-zone system so you do not have to deal with complex terminology.
0–25% (Green Zone): Low Risk
- What it means: The address is considered "clean." At the time of the check, no direct or serious indirect links to any illegal or suspicious activity were found.
- Your actions: You can interact with this address with a high degree of confidence. The risk of blocking or other issues is minimal.
26–74% (Yellow Zone): Medium Risk
- What it means: Caution is needed here. The address is not directly linked to criminal activity but has "suspicious acquaintances." Most often, this means the wallet (or the wallets it received funds from) has interacted with large crypto mixers or high-risk unregulated exchanges.
- Your actions: Interacting with such an address carries moderate risk. If the transaction amount is small, you might take the risk. If the amount is significant, it is better to request another address from the counterparty or decline the deal altogether. Never transfer funds from such a wallet directly to your main exchange account.
75–100% (Red Zone): High Risk
- What it means: Stop. This address has direct, proven links to illegal activity. This could be a wallet on a sanctions list, the address of a hacker who stole funds, or a wallet linked to a darknet market.
- Your actions: It is strictly not recommended to have any dealings with this address. Any transaction sent to or received from this wallet will, with 99% probability, "infect" your own address and lead to an immediate ban on any major platform. Simply walk away from the deal.
Most often, high risk is associated with interaction with crypto mixers or the darknet. We discussed these and other sources of risk in more detail here.
Real-life examples: What reports look like for different wallets
- Example 1: The wallet of Vitalik Buterin or another law-abiding person (Low Risk).
- Address:
0x... - Network: Ethereum
- Result: Low Risk (0–15%). This is the public address of a law-abiding individual; all their transactions are transparent.
- Address:
- Example 2: An address linked to cybercrime or other suspicious activities, such as using the Tornado Cash mixer (High Risk).
- Address:
0x... - Network: Ethereum
- Result: High Risk (80–100%). The system will immediately identify the link to criminal activity.
- Address:
To see how this looks in practice, check out our real case study of a wallet analysis after using a mixer.
Conclusion: Turning checking into a healthy habit
How to check a crypto wallet before a transaction? You already have the answer.
As you can see, an AML check is no more difficult than checking your wallet balance. It is a simple, fast, and incredibly effective way to protect your assets and your peace of mind.
Do not treat this as a one-time thing. Make it your routine, part of your trading strategy, a step as mandatory as checking the exchange rate or the transaction fee. In a world where transactions cannot be reversed, the best defense is prevention.
Ready to try?
Check your first wallet right now!