Can an exchange freeze stolen crypto?

Blockchain transactions can't be reversed: OKX says it can't reverse completed transactions, and Kraken says it cannot recover funds once they have been transferred to external wallets controlled by third parties. But when stolen funds are deposited at an exchange, they sit in an account the exchange controls. Kraken, for example, says its enforcement actions may include freezing or closing accounts and restricting access to potentially illicit funds.

That's why the most useful thing a trace can show is that your funds reached an exchange deposit address, and which deposit was yours.

• —A police report. Binance and Bybit ask for one explicitly, and OKX tells victims to report to local police with chat records and screenshots of the transfers.
• —A freezing order from law enforcement or a court, for Binance and Bybit to freeze. Binance says it is the victim's responsibility to obtain one, for example by reporting the matter to the police.
• —The transaction hashes (TXIDs), ideally as explorer links, and the address that received the funds.
• —A description of what happened and when, and proof that the wallet that lost the funds was yours.

• —Binance: contact Binance Support with a description of the incident, proof you own the wallet, the compromised wallet and receiving account, every transaction hash, and a copy of the police report. Its in-app Case Report Form is only for Binance users; others use support chat.
• —Coinbase: if your Coinbase account was involved, contact local authorities immediately and then Coinbase Support. Coinbase says it works with authorities during their investigation. If something feels off, it advises locking your account in the app and emailing security@coinbase.com.
• —OKX: report in the app under Security, Community Safety, Report scam or suspicious activity, or through the Help bot, and report to the police.
• —Kraken: report to your country's cybercrime channel (in the US, the IC3) and notify Kraken support.
• —Bybit: use the Report Stolen Funds self-service page with the asset, amount, the thief's address and a description. Bybit says it aims to respond within 12 hours, asks that a police report has been filed and a freezing order obtained, and limits handling without a freezing order to verified VIP users.
• —Crypto.com: report to your local law enforcement. Crypto.com says it will work with any law enforcement agency that reaches out.

No. Binance, Coinbase, OKX and Crypto.com all receive law-enforcement requests through dedicated portals that are for government and law-enforcement agencies only. Give the investigating officer the exchange's name and your trace; they can submit the request.

A temporary hold placed by an exchange is not the same as a legal freeze. Bybit states that any temporary hold is a precautionary measure that does not constitute a legal freezing order.

No. Binance says its support team can't share information about law-enforcement requests with victims because it is confidential, and Bybit communicates only with law enforcement. Identifying the account holder takes a request from law enforcement or a court order compelling disclosure, and a documented trace is what supports that request.

Our trace identifies which exchange the funds reached, the deposit addresses and transactions involved, and how confident we are in each link, and our report packages that as an exhibit your lawyer or the police can send to the exchange. We don't contact the exchange for you. The intake review is free.