How to unfreeze funds on an exchange yourself: a step-by-step guide
If an exchange has frozen your funds, you do not always need a lawyer. Here is what you can do yourself, what evidence compliance expects, where to get the blockchain side ready-made, and when no letter will solve it.
First, the honest part: when you can do this yourself
Some freezes can be cleared without a middleman: the exchange asks a question, you answer with documents, and the review closes. Others cannot be settled by letter at all. Spend the first ten minutes working out which one you have.
| What the exchange wrote | Can you do it yourself? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| KYC, selfie, video verification | Yes | Complete it right away, with the same details as your profile |
| Source of Funds, EDD, proof of origin | Yes, if the funds are lawful and you have documents | One complete pack: income documents plus an analysis of the on-chain history |
| AML risk on a deposit | Often yes | Find out what shows up on the address and explain the link with documents |
| Risk control with no reason given | Yes, but start with a written request | The grounds, the document list and a case number |
| Sanctions, a law enforcement request, a court order | No | A lawyer. A letter to support will not settle this |
| Address on the USDT blacklist | The exchange is not the decision-maker | A separate route: see the Tether blacklist guide |
| The exchange is closing or under sanctions | Depends on the procedure | See the exchange's page: HTX, EXMO, Kuna |
Rule out a general pause first. After the Binance and Bitget hacks in autumn 2026, withdrawals closed for everyone, and no document could speed that up.
Step 1. Do no damage in the first hours
- Save the exchange's message, account screenshots, deposit TxIDs and the case number.
- Keep to one ticket. Parallel requests muddle the conversation, and differing versions read as evasion.
- Do not withdraw in small pieces to new addresses or shuffle funds through other wallets.
- Never share your seed phrase, and do not pay anyone who contacted you first and promises an unfreeze.
More detail in the first 24 hours plan.
Step 2. Find out what the exchange sees
Exchanges rarely name the exact reason. On-chain data is public, though, so you can see much of the picture yourself. Check the address you deposited from: blacklists, sanctions, scam databases and the basic facts about the address.
Free address check
See what shows up on the address, with no signup.
Step 3. Ask for the grounds in writing
Ask three things: on what grounds the account is restricted, what the full document list is, and when to expect a decision. Reply only through the exchange's official channel. The compliance reply template gives you the structure.
Step 4. Gather evidence for the money
The officer wants a connected story: where the money came from, how it became crypto, and how it reached the exchange. Amounts and dates have to line up.
- Income: statements, contracts, tax returns, property sale documents.
- Buying the crypto: trade history, P2P orders, payment confirmations in your name.
- Moving it to the exchange: TxIDs and addresses for every step.
The Source of Funds template gives you the skeleton, and P2P traders can use the evidence checklist. File in English with an international exchange.
Step 5. Cover the blockchain side
You can get a bank statement yourself. The coins are harder to explain: who the address is linked to, where the funds came from, whether sanctioned addresses sit nearby, and whether the money arrived before a counterparty was frozen. You have three options here.
| Route | Price | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Entirely on your own: the free check and a block explorer | $0 | A simple history, one or two transfers, a small amount |
| On your own, with our dossier: you file in your name, we prepare the evidence | $199 | The exchange wants evidence, but you do not want to pay for a full investigation and representation |
| Representation: we run the case and correspondence with you | After a free assessment | A large amount, a complicated history, a dispute with the exchange |
What the dossier contains
A document written for a compliance officer: a one-page summary, a full transfer ledger with hashes, sanctions screening across three hops, fund tracing, profiles of the largest counterparties, timing analysis, a letter in English, a document checklist and an owner's declaration. Our engine gathers the data, then our legal department reviews the dossier. It takes 2 to 10 hours.
If the dossier finds a problem, it says so plainly, because a concealed finding destroys trust in the whole pack. It is built on an address on TRON, Ethereum or Solana. If your funds arrived over another network or by transfer from another exchange, start with a free assessment.
Order the dossier, $199
Before you pay, we show you what history exists on the address. If it has no USDT transfers, we will not sell you a dossier.
Step 6. File everything as one pack
Send a short cover note, a chronology and numbered attachments. Do not send files one at a time: exchanges can keep asking for more, and a scattered submission only makes the review harder. Keep to one version of events, and if you correct something, explain why.
Step 7. Watch the deadlines and escalate
Almost no exchange publishes a maximum review time. Here is what is known:
- Bybit: according to its help pages, documents for an additional withdrawal check are due within 72 hours.
- OKX: risk reviews have no fixed timeline, as the exchange itself states.
- MEXC: documents usually take about 3 business days, followed by a possible risk analysis, up to 365 days in severe cases.
- Bitget: 18 days for EDD on certain bank deposits. No timeline is published for withdrawal reviews.
If two or three weeks pass with no reply, send a follow-up in the same ticket, citing the case number and filing date. A regulator complaint mostly works against a licensed entity: Austria's FMA supervises Bybit EU and WhiteBIT EU, for example, and Malta's MFSA supervises OKX Europe and Gate's EU business. See the exchange deadlines overview for more.
When to stop and call a lawyer
- The message mentions sanctions, a court or law enforcement.
- The check shows a direct link between the address and a sanctions list.
- A criminal complaint or case has been opened against you.
- The amount is large enough that a mistake in your first reply would cost more than a lawyer.
Nobody can guarantee an unfreeze, because the exchange's compliance team makes the decision. Anyone promising a result for an upfront fee is probably a scammer. We answer for the quality of the evidence, and we tell you honestly when evidence will not solve your case.
Be the first to know if the status changes
Check any address and switch on a free Telegram alert: we re-check it daily and message you if it lands on Tether's blacklist or a sanctions list.
Frequently asked questions
Can I unfreeze funds without a lawyer?
Yes, if the exchange is asking for verification or documents on the origin of funds, and the money is lawful and documented. If sanctions, a court or law enforcement are involved, you need a lawyer.
How long will the exchange take to reply?
Most exchanges publish no maximum review time. File one complete pack, and send a follow-up in the same ticket if two or three weeks pass with no reply.
Does the $199 dossier guarantee an unfreeze?
No. The exchange's compliance team makes the decision. The dossier covers the blockchain side of your answer, and you add the income documents.
What if I deposited from another exchange?
Another exchange's address will not show your personal history, so a dossier on it may not help. Start with that exchange's statement and a free case assessment.
Who should I never pay for an unfreeze?
Anyone who contacted you first, asks for your seed phrase, or promises a result for an upfront fee.